Impact of Local Application of Clindamycin in Preventing Dry Socket after Third Mandibular Molar Extraction

Extraction of third mandibular tooth is one of the most commonly performed surgical procedures in oral surgery. One of the most common complications following the extraction of third mandibular molar teeth is dry socket (alveolar osteitis). Dry socket is the delayed healing of the wound of the alveolar bone after dental extractions. The purpose of this study was to determine if the intra-alveolar application of Clindamycin could reduce the incidence of dry socket following the extraction of third mandibular molar tooth. Patients who qualified for the prospective, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial were randomly divided into 2 groups, each group 30 patients. The first group (30 patients) included smokers and the second group (30 patients) included non smokers. Both groups had the mandibular third molar extracted in both sides at the same time. In total, 120 third molars were extracted. The left site was a study group in which we applied the clindamycin and the right site was a control group. The patients were also divided by gender. Dry socket occurred in 3.3% of cases for patients whom were given Clindamycin, regardless of their smoking habits, as opposed to 31.7% for those who did not receive the antibiotic. Results clearly showed that Clindamycin had a huge impact on reducing dry socket regardless of smoking habits.