Osunde 2011a.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: RCT parallel group Conducted in: Department of Dental and Maxillofacial Surgery, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria Number of centres: 1 Recruitment period: January to December 2007
Participants	Inclusion criteria: patients referred for extraction of impacted lower third molars Exclusion criteria: patients with a perceptible level of pain at time of surgery were excluded Number randomised: unclear Number evaluated: 50
Interventions	Partial versus complete wound closure Group A (n = 25): a single 3‐0 silk suture for closing the socket was placed at the distal relieving incision Group B (n = 25): multiple sutures for closing the socket; the sutures were placed at the interdental papilla between the second and third molars and at the distal relieving incision All procedures performed under local anaesthetic. Both treatment groups received oral antibiotics (amoxicillin and metronidazole for 5 days), analgesics (ibuprofen for 3 days), and instructions to use a warm saline mouth rinse.
Outcomes	Participants assessed at days 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 postoperatively to evaluate the degree of pain, swelling, and trismus.
Notes	Sample size calculation: not reported E‐mail sent to otdany@yahoo.co.uk on 12 March 2012 requesting additional information on randomisation and participants. No reply received.
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Quote: "...randomized into two groups" Comment: method of sequence generation not described
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Not mentioned
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) patient	Low risk	Quote: "Double blind"
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) assessor	Low risk	Quote: "Double blind" Comment: outcomes were assessed by an independent evaluator who was unaware of the treatment group to which participants belonged
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Unclear how many participants were originally randomised to treatment. Patients with perceptible pain at baseline were excluded from the study.
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Unclear risk	Pain, swelling, and trismus reported but not postoperative complications.
Other bias	Low risk	No other sources of bias identified.