Clinical Audit of Two Standard Surgical Site Treatments Following Dental Extractions and The Impact on Incidence of Alveolar Osteitis Within a Specialist Dental Clinic
Abstract Background Alveolar osteitis is a painful condition following dental extraction associated with absence of blood clot and consequent exposure of underlying alveolar bone. It is a condition whose exact aetiology is unresolved and a known complication in up to 30-40% of dental extractions. The following report details a retrospective evaluation of two approved, long-standing wound care treatments used, post-extraction, within our clinic to assess for relationship with alveolar osteitis incidence. Methods Patients undergoing non-acute dental extraction at a dental out-patient clinic in the UK had received two different standard treatments for a period from 2000 to 2014. The treatments were mouth rinse with physiologic saline or surgical site irrigation and mouth rinse with physiologic saline-low dose aqueous chlorine used in wound and burn-site care. Retrospective, post-operative outcome analysis suggested improved outcomes with one of the standard treatments versus the other. A full retrospective audit of consecutive treatment outcomes was implemented to test the hypothesis. The audit data-collection was blinded to the treatment administered and to the identity of the treating clinician. Statistical analysis was carried out independently and blinded to the treatment modality. Results All patients were routinely reviewed within seven days and a determination of un-complicated healing vs alveolar osteitis (requiring further intervention) was made. Our results show that treatment with of aqueous chlorine in physiological saline significantly reduced the incidence of alveolar osteitis versus the control group who received physiologic saline without socket irrigation and chlorhexidine oral rinse home-care. (Odds Ratio 0.0146 Relative Risk 0.029 (95%CI 0.0093 to 0.0928) significance (p<0.001). Conclusions This is the first report to show an extremely significant reduction in the incidence of alveolar osteitis following treatment with low dose aqueous chlorine in physiological saline compared with those receiving the physiologic saline and saline mouth rinse or Corsodyl mouth rinse. This shows an approach to surgical site care is superior to the most common, reported, standard of care treatment. The impact of this has led to improved antibiotic stewardship within the clinic for dental extraction or elective oral surgery, including third molars.