title: Oral health-related quality of life following third molar surgery with either oral administration or submucosal injection of prednisolone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in oral health-related Quality of Life (QoL) following third molar surgery with either oral administration or submucosal injection of prednisolone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were randomly distributed into three groups of 62 subjects each: Group A consisted of subjects who received 40 mg oral prednisolone; group B received 40 mg submucosal injection of prednisolone, while group C did not receive prednisolone. Preoperative and postoperative quality of life evaluations of all subjects were done using the 14-item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Postoperatively, quality of life evaluation was done on postoperative days 1, 3, and 7. Subjects were categorized as either affected (OHIP score ≤28) or not affected (OHIP score >28). Mean OHIP scores between preoperative and postoperative periods, as well as between the three groups, were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant increase in the mean total and subscale scores was found in all the groups postoperatively. This was most marked on the first postoperative day, and it gradually improved throughout the immediate postoperative period. Subjects who received prednisolone experienced a statistically significant better quality of life than those who did not. Subjects who received submucosal injection of prednisolone showed statistically significant less deterioration in QoL than those who received oral prednisolone (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of prednisolone was significantly associated with less deterioration in quality of life and earlier recovery when compared with subjects who did not receive prednisolone. Submucosal injection of prednisolone 40 mg (which offers a simple, safe, painless, and cost-effective therapeutic option) is an effective therapeutic strategy for improving the quality of life after surgical removal of impacted lower third molars.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. adebayoibikunle@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Adebayo Aremu
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ibikunle
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Wasiu Lanre
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Adeyemo
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Sciences, College of Medicine University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Akinola Ladipo
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Ladeinde
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000601:surgery*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D009909:Oral Health; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014081:Tooth Extraction / Q000523:psychology*; D064232:Visual Analog Scale; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011239:Prednisolone
keywords: Quality of life; Submucosal prednisolone; Third molar extraction