title: In search of a better option: dexamethasone versus methylprednisolone in third molar impaction surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Post-surgical complications like pain, swelling, impaired function cause transient morbidity for the patients leading to refrainment of the treatment. Various preemptive drugs are prescribed to prevent patients from such unpleasant situations. Both dexamethasone and methyl prednisolone can be used for this purpose in surgery of third molar impactions.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a split-mouth study consisting 25 patients having Pell and Gregory's Class II position B bilateral impactions. About 8 mg dexamethasone and 40 mg methyl prednisolone were prescribed randomly 1 hour prior to the surgery. Pain, swelling and trismus were noted on 1(st), 2(nd), 3(rd) and 7(th) day following surgery. Wilcoxon test was used to assess the significance between the parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reduction in swelling and trismus was found to be significantly more with dexamethasone than methyl prednisolone. However, no statistical significant difference was found in post-operative pain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dexamethasone can be used as a potent preemptive drug for controlling post-operative complications in the removal of third molar impactions.
authors: Professor and Head, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Rungta College of Dental Sciences, Bhilai, Chattisgarh, India.
authors: Dattatraya A
authors: DA
authors: Darawade
authors: Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontology, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
authors: Santosh
authors: S
authors: Kumar
authors: Professor and Head, Department of Periodontology, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India.
authors: Rupal
authors: R
authors: Mehta
authors: Senior Lecturer, Department of Periodontology, Pacific Dental College and Hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India.
authors: Anant Raghav
authors: AR
authors: Sharma
authors: Reader, Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics, Vydehi Institute of Dental Sciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
authors: G Sharaschandra
authors: GS
authors: Reddy
keywords: Dexamethasone; Methylprednisolone; Third molar; Trismus
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