SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Dent. Med.
Sec. Reconstructive Dentistry
The effectiveness of Kinesio Taping on Postoperative Complications following Mandibular Third Molar Surgery/Extraction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Provisionally accepted
Ahmed Abu-Zaid1*
Yousef Talal Aldosri2Abdulwahab T A Alenezi3Husain A M Dashti4Lolwah Fahad Aldhafairi4Mohammad DH Oqlah4Mohammed Ibrahim Alkandari5Abdullah Mohammed Aldulaimi4
Abdulaziz Salem Owayed4Sayed Ali Alsaleh4Meshari A Alobayian4Hanan A Alshammari4- 1College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 2Riyadh Elm University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 3Al Jahra Hospital, Jahra, Kuwait
- 4Ministry of Health, Kuwait City, Kuwait
- 5Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
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ABSTRACT Background/Objectives: Surgical removal of mandibular third molars is frequently followed by pain, swelling, and trismus. Conventional management relies on analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroids, but interest in non-pharmacological adjuncts persists. Kinesio taping (KT) has been explored in randomized trials as a potential aid in reducing postoperative morbidity. This review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of KT after mandibular third molar surgery. Methods: Five databases were searched until September 2025. Eligible studies were RCTs comparing KT with standard care, no taping, or sham taping after mandibular third molar extraction, reporting pain, swelling, or maximal interincisal opening. Data were extracted independently and pooled as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals using random-effects meta-analysis. Risk of bias was assessed with ROB-2. Results: Sixteen RCTs, involving 721 participants were included. KT significantly reduced pain on day 1 (MD = –1.25, p < 0.001), day 3 (MD = –0.88, p = 0.04), and day 7 (MD = –1.08, p = 0.01), though not on day 2. Swelling reduction was significant on day 2 (MD = –2.45 cm, p < 0.001) but not day 7. MIO was greater in KT groups at days 2 (MD = 4.8 mm, p < 0.001), 3 (MD = 3.72 mm, p = 0.02), and 7 (MD = 2.41 mm, p = 0.04). Conclusion: KT appears to provide short-term benefits in pain control, swelling reduction, and mouth opening after third molar surgery. While promising, effect sizes vary, and heterogeneity underscores the need for larger, standardized RCTs to define optimal techniques and confirm clinical value.
Keywords: extraction, Kinesio taping, Mandibular, Meta-analysis, postoperative complication, Surgery, Systematic review, Third molar
Received: 20 Sep 2025; Accepted: 01 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Abu-Zaid, Aldosri, Alenezi, Dashti, Aldhafairi, Oqlah, Alkandari, Aldulaimi, Owayed, Alsaleh, Alobayian and Alshammari. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ahmed Abu-Zaid
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