Comparison of Electrocautery and Scalpel Blade Incisions of Impacted Mandibular Third Molars

NCT07723326 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IIDC/IRC/2026/7/001
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 78
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare electrocautery and scalpel blade incisions during surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. The study will evaluate postoperative pain, intraoperative blood loss, and wound healing in patients undergoing third molar surgery. A total of 78 participants will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either a scalpel blade incision or an electrocautery incision under standardized surgical conditions.

Conditions

Impacted Mandibular Third Molar

Keywords

electrocautery; scalpel blade; impacted mandibular third molar

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• postoperative pain

  Postoperative pain at the surgical site will be assessed using a 0-10 Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain

  24 hours, 48 hours, and 7 days after surgery.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• intraoperative blood loss

  During surgery (from first incision to final suture).

• wound healing

  1 week and 4 weeks after surgery.

Study Arms (2)

scalpel blade incision group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will undergo surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars using a sterile No. 15 scalpel blade for the mucoperiosteal flap incision

Procedure: scalpel blade incision

electrocautery incision group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will undergo surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars using electrocautery in cutting mode for the mucoperiosteal flap incision

Procedure: electrocautery incision

Interventions

electrocautery incision PROCEDURE

A fine electrocautery electrode in cutting mode at a standardized effective power setting will be used to make the mucoperiosteal flap incision during surgical extraction of the impacted mandibular third molar.

electrocautery incision group

scalpel blade incision PROCEDURE

A sterile No. 15 stainless-steel scalpel blade will be used to make the mucoperiosteal flap incision during surgical extraction of the impacted mandibular third molar.

scalpel blade incision group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 15 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Male and female patients.
• Age 15 to 65 years.
• Patients requiring surgical extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar. Patients classified as ASA I or ASA II.
• Patients willing to provide written informed consent, or assent with parent/guardian permission where applicable, and attend scheduled follow-up visits

You may not qualify if:

• \* Patients with uncontrolled systemic disease or immuno-compromised status.
• Patients with bleeding disorders or those taking anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs that cannot be safely withheld according to physician advice.
• Patients with pacemaker or implanted electrical cardiac device.
• Pregnant or lactating patients.
• Patients with acute infection, pericoronitis, facial space infection, or pus discharge at the surgical site at the time of surgery.
• Patients requiring bilateral third-molar extraction in the same sitting.
• Patients unwilling to participate or unable to return for follow-up.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Islamic International Dental Hospital

Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan

Location

Study Officials

• Uzair Luqman, BDS/FCPS

  department of ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY ISLAMIC INTERNATIONAL DENTAL HOSPITAL

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Muhammad Usama, BDS/FCPS

CONTACT

+923325595484; usamakhan123478@gmail.com

Uzair Luqman, BDS/FCPS

CONTACT

+923215080354; uzair.luqman@riphah.edu.pk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: This is a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. The independent outcome assessor responsible for wound-healing and postoperative assessments will remain blinded to treatment allocation. The operating surgeon cannot be blinded because the incision techniques are visibly different.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: This is a prospective, two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Eligible patients requiring surgical extraction of an impacted mandibular third molar will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either Arm A (scalpel blade incision) or Arm B (electrocautery incision) using a computer-generated randomization sequence. Allocation concealment will be maintained using sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes prepared by a person not involved in surgery or outcome assessment. All other surgical and perioperative conditions will be standardized between the two groups, and postoperative pain, intraoperative blood loss, and wound-healing outcomes will be compared.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 20, 2026
• First Posted: July 23, 2026
• Study Start: August 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Last Updated: July 23, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)