Introduction: Impacted tooth is a tooth which is completely or partially unerupted and is positioned against another
tooth, bone or soft tissue so that its further eruption is unlikely, described according to its anatomic position. Most
common complications associated with the removal of the third molar include damage of the pain, sensory nerve leading to paresthesia, dry
socket, infection, and hemorrhage. Severe trismus, oro-antral stula, buccal fat herniations, iatrogenic damage to the adjacent second molar, and
iatrogenic mandibular fracture may also occur, though very rarely. This double-blind, and ra Aim: ndomized study was aimed to compare the
efcacy of dexamethasone and ketorolac tromethamine, through the evaluation of pain, edema, and limitation of mouth opening. Methodology:
The study group was composed of 20 adult individuals, who were indicated for surgical removal of mandibular third molars with total or partial
bone impaction. Group 1 individuals received 1 capsule of 10 mg ketorolac tromethamine 1 h before surger6. Group 2 received 1 capsule of 8 mg
dexamethasone 1 h before surgery. The values obtained during the study were compared us Results: ing the t test or Mann Whitney test,
depending on the distribution of values. The level of signicance was set at 5%. The statistical program SPSS version 26.0 was used. There was
no statistically signicant difference between the groups for varied pain across time (2, 6, 12, and 24 h). Post-operatively, for the dexamethasone
group, mouth opening after 24 hrs, 48 hrs and 72 hrs was 42.20mm, 42.90mm and 43.60mm respectively, which was statistically signicantly
higher as compared to ketorolac group. Post-operatively, edema after 24 hrs, and 48 hours was lower in the dexamethasone group as compared to
the ketorolac group but it was statistically insignicant . The results Conclusion: obtained with the use of 8 mg dexamethasone 1 hour prior to the
surgical procedure at a single dose and 10 mg of ketorolac 1 hour before the employed distinctly are effective in the control of postoperative
inammation on the pain, edema, and limitation of mouth opening in the extraction of the third inferior molars.
