ABSTRACT
Background: The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of surgical difficulty detected using the Pederson and Parant scales and the duration of the surgery on postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus. Methods: Surgical difficulty for each mandibular third molar was estimated using the Pederson and Parant scales and the duration of the surgery in 50 healthy patients. Postoperative pain, swelling, and trismus were evaluated preoperatively and on the 2nd and 7th days post-operation and the recorded data was analyzed with statistical significance set at P = 0.05. Results: Age was found to be a risk factor for 7th day postoperative pain (p = 0.032) and trismus (p = 0.008). The relationship between the duration of surgery and the Parant scale was statistically significant (p = 0.000), and the duration of surgery was found to be a risk factor for 7th day postoperative trismus (p = 0.017). Conclusion: There were no significant relationships between the postoperative complications and the Pederson and Parant scale scores.