The Use of Dexamethasone in Maxillofacial Surgery: A Literature Review with Regard to the Ukrainian Experience
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33295/1992-576X-2026-3-MFSD-1Keywords:
dexamethasone, dental implant, postoperative pain, swelling, trismus, glucocorticoidsAbstract
Objective — to conduct a systematic analysis of evidence-based data regarding the effectiveness and safety of dexamethasone in the perioperative management of dental implantation.
Materials and Methods. A literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar for the period 2013–2024 using the keywords: dexamethasone, dental implant, postoperative pain, swelling, trismus, glucocorticoids. Analyzed parameters included dosages (1–8 mg), routes of administration (oral, intramuscular, intravenous, submucosal, topical), visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores, swelling volume, degree of trismus, and the frequency of adverse events.
Results and Discussion. Dexamethasone reduced pain intensity by 30–45%, swelling by 25–43%, and trismus by ~30%. The greatest effect was observed with preoperative administration of 4–8 mg 30–60 minutes prior to implantation. Adverse events were minor (3–5% of cases) and predominantly presented as transient hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes mellitus. Ukrainian clinical data confirm the feasibility of short-term dexamethasone regimens with no negative impact on osteogenesis.
Conclusions. Dexamethasone is an effective, safe, and pathogenetic-based component of pharmacological support in dental implantation. A single preoperative dose of 4 mg is optimal for most patients. Conducting Ukrainian multicenter randomized controlled trials (RCTs) is recommended to standardize relevant protocols.
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