Natural Sciences, Stomotology, 2026
ISSN: 1829-006X
CORTICOSTEROIDS IN IMPACTED MANDIBULAR THIRD MOLAR SURGERY: A NARRATIVE REVIEW
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Submitted: 2026-04-08
© 2026 by author(s) and The Gufo Inc.
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial International License
(CC BY-NC 4.0).
Abstract
Aim:To systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy, optimal dosage, route, timing, and safety of corticosteroid
administration in managing postoperative complications—pain, swelling, and trismus—following impacted
mandibular third molar surgery.
Materials and Methods:PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched using a pre-specified
search strategy. Clinical studies, reviews, systematic reviews, case reports, and case series were included for data
synthesis.Search keywords terms included: Corticosteroids, Mandibular Third Molar, Impacted Tooth, Dental
Surgery, Postoperative Complications, Swelling, Pain Management, Trismus, Anti-inflammatory Drugs.
Results:A total of 315 titles were screened rigorously by two independent evaluators. After duplicate exclusion and
removal of irrelevant titles, 87 articles were included for full-text analysis, out of which 35 qualified for final data
synthesis.
Conclusion:Corticosteroids especially dexamethasone demonstrate significant effectiveness in reducing
postoperative complications when administered via intravenous, intramuscular, or submucosal routes either
preoperatively or intraoperatively. While oral administration is preferred by patients for its convenience, its efficacy
is comparatively lower. Standardized clinical protocols and individualized patient assessment are essential to
maximize therapeutic outcomes while minimizing potential adverse effects.