Objectives: To determine if there is a release of IL-6 after surgical removal of lower third molars and to compare the amount of IL-6 in patients treated with NSAID and in those treated with glucocorticoids.
Study design: Prospective study on 73 patients who attended the Oral Surgery Unit (Department of Medicine and Oral Surgery) in the Faculty of Odontology of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid for the surgical removal of their lower third molars. These patients were separated into two groups: the diclofenac group and the methylprednisolone group. A record card was completed with preoperative and postoperative epidemiological and clinic data. Samples of gingival crevicular fluid were collected in order to assess the release of interleukin-6 after surgery. In order to make a broad study of data, the BMDP program was used for statistical analysis.
Results: Levels of IL-6 were higher after surgical extraction of lower third molars and remained high until the seventh day after. Levels were higher in the diclofenac group 24hours after surgery, the difference was significant (0.008).
Conclusions: IL-6 is higher after surgical extraction of lower third molars, behaving differently in each of the groups.