We undertook this study to assess the
analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of
ibuprofen when administered through two drug delivery systems after mandibular third molar surgery. The study was conducted on 100 patients who required the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars under local anaesthesia. The study subjects were divided into two groups of 50 patients each. Patients in the study group were given
ibuprofen-incorporated
chitosan-based
microspheres, which were packed into the third molar sockets after removal of
impacted teeth. Patients in the control group were prescribed with
ibuprofen 400mg
tablets that were to be administered orally after the removal of impacted mandibular third molars. All patients were assessed for
pain, swelling, and
trismus on the second, fourth, and seventh postoperative days, and wound healing was assessed on the seventh postoperative day. Patients in the study group had significantly less
pain and comparatively better mouth opening on the second, fourth, and seventh postoperative days, which showed clinically and statistically significant results of p<0.05, respectively, while the assessment of swelling for the study group did not show statistically significant results on any of the three postoperative days. Among 50 patients in the study group, two had
wound gaping, and among 50 patients in the control group, four presented with
wound gaping and three patients developed
dry socket.
Ibuprofen-incorporated
chitosan-based
microspheres (study group) had comparatively better
analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties with drastic reduction of
pain, swelling,
trismus, and also had a reliable wound healing property when compared with the orally-administered
ibuprofen (control group) after mandibular third molar surgery.