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Chapter 6118In the present study, no cases of alveolitis were observed. The incidence of dry socket after a coronectomy was previously reported to be relatively low, due to the facts that the wounds were small, little alveolar bone was exposed, and primary wound closure was performed.7 Leung & Cheung (2009) reported no cases of dry socket in a coronectomy group, compared to 2.8% cases of alveolitis in a surgical removal group.6 In a later study, among 612 coronectomies on lower third molars in 458 patients, only one coronectomy (0.16%) resulted in a dry socket in the first postoperative week.11 However, Renton et al (2005) reported a 12.1% incidence of postoperative alveolitis in a coronectomy group, which was comparable to the 9.6% postoperative alveolitis observed in a surgical removal group.25 In that study, the high incidence of alveolitis observed after a coronectomy might have been due to the fact that the mucoperiosteal flaps were replaced with a single suture; thus, compared to other studies, they did not achieve a ’water-tight’ closure. Another explanation might be that, in that study, a high proportion of patients were treated for difficult, deeply impacted teeth with pericoronitis.25It remains controversial whether antibiotics are necessary in a coronectomy. The lack of postoperative antibiotic therapy is believed to increase the risk of postoperative complications after a mandibular third molar coronectomy. However, the need for antibiotic prophylaxis or postoperative administration remains controversial for both a coronectomy and the surgical removal of an impacted mandibular third molar. In the original description of a coronectomy by Pogrel et al (2004), patients were prescribed preoperative prophylactic antibiotics, which were continued for at least 3 days.5 Other studies use different antibiotic protocols, ranging from 3 to 7 days, however, no scientific evidence exists to support the use of antibiotics for a coronectomy.3,8,13Kouwenberg et al (2016) instructed patients to rinse with chlorhexidine 0.12% 3 times per day, starting from the first postoperative day and continuing until normal dental hygiene was achieved.10 However, no data were given on postoperative infections, alveolitis, or pain after the coronectomy. Another important question is whether endodontic treatment or vital pulp therapy is necessary, and whether these treatments might influence pain or the QoL. Histological evaluation of mandibular third molar roots retrieved after