Knowledge and Attitude about Post Extraction Complication among Dental Students

Aim: To evaluate the knowledge of dental students regarding post extraction complications and their management. Materials and method: This cross-sectional survey was conducted across dental colleges of Chennai in October 2019.A questionnaire consisting of 14 questions was formulated and distributed among dental students. Based on the responses from the dental students to this multiple choice based questionnaire, the survey was analyzed. Results: Among 100 students who participated in this survey, nearly 55.2% of dental students reported bleeding to be the most common postoperative complication, followed by pain 28.8%%, dry socket 9.6 %, and swelling which is 6.4%%. 98% dental students agreed that thorough medical history can be useful for treating complications. 55.6% of dental students responded that localized pressure by biting on gauze arrest bleeding. Majority of students were aware that displacement of the tooth into maxillary sinus is highly seen during extraction of a maxillary 1st molar tooth. Discussion: Difficulties with extractions and complications are unpredictable. Having a thorough medical history prior to surgery will allow the dentist to better deal with the complications that may arise and the dentist should be certain to always follow proper surgical techniques and know limitations prior to beginning any extraction. The most common complication following dental extraction is prolonged bleeding. The most frequently reported sequelae observed after any surgical procedure was swelling of the soft tissues around the operation site which often persists for 48hrs. Smokers have more incidence of dry socket after extraction than nonsmokers. Ecchymosis usually occurs in elderly patients. Majority of students were aware that displacement of tooth into maxillary sinus is highly seen during extraction of maxillary 1st molar. Conclusion: This study revealed that knowledge about post extraction complications among most of the undergraduate dental students was adequate. Good Quality of treatment can be maintained, if future dentists have a good knowledge of post extraction complications and the methods of preventing and managing them.