Risk factors for postoperative infection of odontogenic cysts associated with mandibular third molar

BACKGROUND: Odontogenic cysts associated with lower third molar are common. The prognosis for surgical treatment is relatively good. However, postoperative infection discourages the clinicians. Hence, we would like to investigate the factors associated with infection after surgical treatment of cysts associated with the mandibular third molar. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical and radiographic records of 81 patients who were diagnosed with dentigerous cyst or odontogenic keratocyst and underwent cyst enucleation. The factors affecting postoperative infection were divided into host factor, treatment factor, and cystic lesion factor. To identify the factors associated with postoperative infection, we attempted to find out the variables with significant differences between the groups with and without infection. RESULTS: A total of 81 patients (64 male and 17 female) were enrolled in this study. There was no statistical relationship about the postoperative infection between all variables (gender, smoking, diabetes mellitus, age, bone grafting, related tooth extraction, previous marsupialization or decompression, type of antibiotics, cortical perforation associated with cystic lesion, preoperative infection, preoperative cyst size). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that it is not necessary to avoid bone grafts that are concerned about postoperative infection.