Effect of application of cold dressings on the postoperative course in oral surgery

The effect of external application of local cold on swelling, trismus, temperature and pain postoperatively in surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars was studied in a cross-over study comprising 45 patients. The patients were treated postoperatively with cold dressings after the first or the second operation. There were no significant differences in swelling, trismus, temperature or postoperative pain between the 2 groups of operations. It is concluded that the external application of cold after the surgical removal of impacted mandibular third molars does not appear to improve the postoperative course, either on a short or long term basis.