Comparison of Dexmedetomidine and Ketamine for Managing Postoperative Symptoms After Third-Molar Surgery

Lower-impacted third-molar surgery is the most common oral-maxillofacial surgery procedure and involves a considerable degree of soft- and bony-tissue trauma. This study measured and compared postoperative sequalae between patients receiving dexmedetomidine or ketamine after third-molar surgery. This study was a randomized double-blind prospective trial. The patients were divided into 2 groups: ketamine and dexmedetomidine. Pain, swelling, and trismus outcomes were evaluated before and 2 and 7 days after surgery. In addition, patients were asked to record the number and timing of oral analgesic tablets they required during the postoperative period. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test and a repeated-measures general linear model. The significance level was set at P