A re-audit to assess the incidence of alveolar osteitis within the Oral Surgery Department of a teaching hospital

What is it about?

The article discusses the results of 3 audit cycles which looked at the incidence of alveolar osteitis (dry socket) at a teaching hospital. The Cochrane review (2012) suggests an incidence of 5% following routine extractions and this level was used as the standard. An acceptable incidence was found in the two most recent cycles at this teaching hospital.

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Why is it important?

Alveolar osteitis (AO) is one of the most common post-operative complications following tooth removal. It is associated with significant patient morbidity and an increase in post-operative visits. The audits also highlight operator experience and the location of the extraction site as contributing factors for the development of AO. This has implications for the clinical governance of the service, and students must be appropriately supervised to ensure high-quality patient care.

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