Management of Alveolar Osteitis: A Comparative Study of Two-Treatment Techniques

Background: The traditional method for the management of alveolar osteitis (dry socket) has its shortcomings in clinical dental practice as it takes long duration with frequent visits by the patients for completion of treatment. Objective is to determine the outcome of treatment using two techniques on patients who presented with alveolar osteitis following forceps dental extractions. Materials and methods: This is a 3-year prospective study of 42 patients with alveolar osteitis seen at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Nigeria. Following irrigation of the extraction sockets with dilute hydrogen peroxide, the sockets and surrounding gingival tissues were debrided to promote the reestablishment of the blood clot in the radical group, while in the traditional method, they were dressed with gauze impregnated with mixture of zinc oxide/eugenol. Results: The age of patients ranged from 14 to 52 years, with the majority between 21 and 40 years (n = 27, 64.2%). There were 24 (57.1%) females and 18 (42.9%) males with a male to female ratio of 1:1.3. More extraction sockets with alveolar osteitis were recorded in the mandible (n = 35, 83.3%) than the maxilla (n = 7, 16.7%); and in both jaws, the molar sockets (76.2%) were predominant. Conclusion: There is reduction in the duration of treatment in the radical group of patients when compared with those treated traditionally. This alternative treatment is safe and reliable and can be utilized by the practitioner who runs a busy clinic to save time. However, randomized controlled clinical trials are needed to validate this new technique.