IPR Scale effectively evaluates wound healing following wisdom tooth extractions

The study is published in the International Dental Journal.

The Inflammatory Proliferative Remodeling (IPR) Wound Healing Scale was developed to assist surgeons in monitoring postoperative oral mucosal wound healing. The scale is divided into three subscales corresponding to the three phases of wound healing, and each is rated at the appropriate time point during follow-up, yielding three subscale scores and a total score.

Since, wound healing scales are infrequently used in oral surgery and have been investigated mainly in split-mouth studies of patients after tooth extraction, authors, Bahaa Haj Yahya and colleagues from a Private Clinic in Herzliya, Israel carried out this study to monitor wound healing following surgical extraction of wisdom teeth using the novel Inflammatory Proliferative Remodeling (IPR) Scale.

A prospective study design was used. Participants included 94 otherwise healthy adult patients undergoing surgical extraction of a wisdom tooth at a tertiary medical center. The IPR Scale was completed by two resident surgeons in oral and maxillofacial surgery at three time points after the procedure, corresponding to the three phases of wound healing.

Mean subscale and total scores were calculated. Patients graded their preoperative anxiety, intraoperative pain, and pain during follow-up on a 10 cm visual analog scale, and the findings were correlated with the IPR Scale scores.

The key findings included-

4. Mean IPR total score (range 0–16) was excellent (14.43 ± 1.45).
5. Mean scores by healing phase were as follows: inflammatory 6.35 ± 1.34 (range 0–8); proliferation, 4.56 ± 0.8 (range 0–5); remodeling, 2.83 ± 0.51 (range 0–3).
6. There was a positive correlation between mean preoperative anxiety level (5.9 ± 3.6) and intraoperative pain perception (2.4 ± 2.4; P = 0.65) and a negative correlation between mean preoperative anxiety level and IPR Scale scores for each healing phase.
7. Two cases were complicated by abscesses which resolved with treatment.

Therefore, the authors concluded that "the IPR Scale is a promising tool for the effective evaluation of the wound healing process following wisdom tooth extractions. Relaxation methods and behavioural adaptation might help to lower patient anxiety and thereby improve oral wound healing."