Impact of kinesio tape application on post-operative recovery in patients undergoing surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars: A randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars commonly produces postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus that impair patient comfort and recovery. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of Kinesio Tape (KT) application in improving postoperative recovery after surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars, with emphasis on pain, swelling, trismus, and patient-reported quality of life (QOL).

METHODS

Sixty patients undergoing surgical extraction of impacted mandibular third molars were randomly allocated to KT (n = 30) or control (n = 30) groups. In the KT group, elastic tape was applied using the lymphatic drainage technique immediately after surgery and retained for 3 days. Pain (Visual Analogue Scale), facial swelling (linear measurements), trismus (maximum inter-incisal opening), and QOL (Modified University of Washington QOL Questionnaire v4) were assessed preoperatively and on postoperative days 1 and 7. Data were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests (α = 0.05).

RESULTS

The KT group demonstrated significantly reduced pain on days 1 (p = 0.024) and 7 (p = 0.036), decreased facial swelling by day 7 (p = 0.015), and less trismus on day 1 (p = 0.001) compared to controls. QOL scores improved significantly in pain (p < 0.001), appearance (p < 0.001), activity (p < 0.001), and mood (p = 0.007) domains. No adverse effects were observed.

CONCLUSION

Kinesio Taping significantly reduced postoperative morbidity and enhanced early functional recovery over 7 days. KT shows significant early postoperative benefits and may be considered a useful adjunct pending larger multicenter validation. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: [CTRI/2025/06/089366] registered on [23/06/2025]