Zinc-Oxide Eugenol Paste, Antimicrobial Gel, and Ayurvedic Medicament in the Management of Alveolar Osteitis: A Prospective and Comparative Study

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the three treatment strategies of zinc oxide eugenol (ZOE), metronidazole gel, and Aloe vera gel in the management of dry socket with respect to pain relief and mucosal healing. Methods: This was a comparative study in which 90 patients were recruited and randomly divided into three groups of 30. ZOE dressings were applied in Group A, Metronidazole gel in Group B, and Aloe vera gel was applied in Group C patients on the day of reporting. Patients were followed up for seven consecutive days. Day-wise pain and mucosal healing were assessed in each patient using the visual analog scale and mucosal healing index, respectively. Results: The mean age for the 90 patients recruited in the study was 44.02 (9.9). Male: Female ratio was 37:53. Higher values of pain were reported in Group A from day 1 to 6 (P < 0.01). However, the difference was not significant among the three groups (P > 0.05) on the 7th day. Significant differences were seen among groups (P < 0.01) for mucosal healing on days 2–6 with higher mean values in Group A. On day 1 and day 7, a non-significant difference was seen for the values across all three groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Metronidazole and Aloe vera gels were found effective in early pain relief while producing a similar amount of mucosal healing. These gels offer the potential to be used as alternative home remedies, thus reducing the number of dental appointments required in the case of ZOE dressings. However, further randomized and clinical studies are required to evaluate the three strategies for their potential adverse effects.