Patient Education and Postoperative Compliance After Third Molar Surgery at Federal Medical Centre Jalingo, Taraba State

Third molar surgical extraction is among the most commonly performed outpatient oral surgical procedures, and the quality of patient education provided postoperatively significantly influences recovery outcomes, complication rates, and patient satisfaction. In Nigeria's North East geopolitical zone, structured postoperative education protocols for outpatient oral surgery are rarely documented. This prospective cohort study evaluates the impact of a structured patient education intervention on postoperative compliance and recovery outcomes following third molar surgery at Federal Medical Centre Jalingo, Taraba State. Eighty patients were randomized into an intervention group receiving standardized written and verbal postoperative instructions and a control group receiving routine verbal instructions only. Compliance with dietary modifications, medication adherence, wound hygiene, and attendance at follow-up appointments was assessed at 48 hours, one week, and two weeks. Complication rates, pain scores, and patient satisfaction were also measured. Results indicate that the intervention group demonstrated significantly higher rates of medication adherence and follow-up attendance, with lower rates of alveolar osteitis and wound infection. Patient satisfaction scores were also significantly higher in the structured education group. The study supports the standardization of patient education protocols for third molar surgery across oral surgery clinics in the North East zone and recommends the development of locally adapted bilingual postoperative instruction materials. Keywords: third molar surgery, patient education, postoperative compliance, Jalingo, recovery outcomes.