Frequency and etiological denominators of alveolar osteitis at Northern Province of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-An observational study

Zafar Ali Khan; Namdeo Prabhu; Afsheen Maqsood; Rakhi Issrani; Naseer Ahmed; Maria Shakoor Abbasi; Artak Heboyan; Anand Marya

doi:10.1177/20503121231219420

Frequency and etiological denominators of alveolar osteitis at Northern Province of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-An observational study

SAGE Open Med. 2023 Dec 24:11:20503121231219420. doi: 10.1177/20503121231219420. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zafar Ali Khan¹, Namdeo Prabhu², Afsheen Maqsood³, Rakhi Issrani^{4

5}, Naseer Ahmed⁶, Maria Shakoor Abbasi⁶, Artak Heboyan^{7

5}, Anand Marya⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Frontier Medical and Dental College, Abbottabad Khyber Pukhtonkhwa, Pakistan.
² Department of Oral, Maxillofacial Surgery, and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Oral Pathology, Bahria University Medical and Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan.
⁴ Department of Preventive Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Jouf University, Sakaka, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Research Analytics, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India.
⁶ Department of Prosthodontics, Altamash Institute of Dental Medicine, Karachi, Pakistan.
⁷ Department of Prosthodontics, Faculty of Stomatology, Yerevan State Medical University After Mkhitar Heratsi, Yerevan, Armenia.
⁸ Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Orthodontics, University of Puthisastra, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Abstract

Objective: Alveolar osteitis is a painful complication that often arises after tooth extraction, presenting a significant clinical challenge. It is imperative to gain a comprehensive understanding of both its occurrence and the contributing factors to enhance the quality of dental care. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency and prevalence of alveolar osteitis among patients and compare these variables based on demographic characteristics (age and sex), the number of teeth extractions, operator experience, health status, and smoking habits in the target population.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted from May 2019 to April 2020. It included all patients above 16 years of age, of both genders, who underwent permanent tooth extraction for various reasons. Patient demographics, smoking habits, health status, operating dental surgeon's clinical experience, extraction technique, and the number of teeth extracted were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. Chi-square test and regression analysis were used to assess differences between age, sex, smoking habit, dentist category, and the number of teeth extractions in relation to alveolar osteitis.

Results: A total of 679 permanent tooth extractions were performed in 438 patients. Alveolar osteitis was observed in 107 cases (15.7%) following tooth extractions. Among these, 36 cases (33.6%) occurred in single tooth extraction cases, while 71 cases (66.4%) were present in patients with multiple extractions. Moreover, 67 cases (62.6%) of alveolar osteitis were found in cigarette smokers. In addition, 61 cases (57%) of dry sockets were reported after tooth extractions performed by dental interns, while 46 cases (43.0%) were noted in extractions performed by experienced dental surgeons and specialists.

Conclusion: The study found a 15.7% incidence of alveolar osteitis in tooth extraction patients in the Al-Jouf region. Alveolar osteitis was more prevalent in males and the age group of 56-77 years. Multiple tooth extractions were associated with higher alveolar osteitis incidence, while operator inexperience increased post-extraction complication risks. In addition, a promising novel protocol and risk assessment scoring system have been devised which require further validation and future research.

Keywords: Dry socket; oral pain; risk factors; tooth extraction.