Piezoelectric surgery versus conventional rotary surgical technique for surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars: A prospective study

Introduction: Impacted third molar surgery is a frequently performed procedure in clinical work. Surgical removal of impacted third molars is often required in symptomatic conditions. Conventional rotary cutting instruments may be potentially injurious, so piezosurgery has been introduced as a new osteotomy technique with promising outcome. Purpose of this study was to compare techniques of surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars using piezosurgery versus the conventional surgical technique. The parameters were time required, patient satisfaction, severity of pain and mouth opening postoperatively. Materials and Methods: This prospective study consisted of 20 medically fit patients between 18–40 years of age with bilateral impacted mandibular third molars from both the genders. On one side surgical extraction was done using conventional rotary technique and contra lateral side was treated using piezosurgery (split mouth study design). Statistical analysis was done between these two techniques for patient satisfaction, duration of surgery, pain perception and trismus. Results: Piezoelectric surgery took more time than rotary, but patient satisfaction, pain, mouth opening was statistically poor with conventional rotary technique. Conclusion: Piezoelectric device is a promising, meticulous, innovative ultrasonic technique for safe and effective bone removal when compared with rotary technique.