Interrelation of complaints after removal of impacted mandibular third molars

Swelling, pain and trismus were evaluated quantitatively after the removal of impacted mandibular third molars on 30 healthy individuals. Evaluation took place 48 h and 7 days after surgery. The mutual correlation between the complaints was determined as well as the correlation between the length of the operation and the degree of postoperative complaints. It is concluded from the study that the longer the operation takes, the more postoperative pain can be expected. However, neither swelling nor trismus is correlated with the length of time of the operation. The size of the swelling was not related to the degree of trismus or postoperative pain. A strong interrelation between postoperative pain and trismus indicates pain as the main reason for reduced mouth opening after removal of impacted mandibular third molars.