Abstract
<jats:p>The prevalence of dentofacial anomalies and deformities in Ukraine reaches approximately 85% and ranks third after dental caries and periodontal diseases. Along with the increasing prevalence of these conditions, the demand for orthodontic care among children is also rising, necessitating the improvement of treatment principles and clinical approaches in practical dentistry. The aim of the study was to analyze the clinical course of the postoperative period in children from different study groups following third molar extraction for orthodontic indications, depending on patient age. The study included 95 children aged 11–18 years who underwent third molar extraction as part of comprehensive orthodontic treatment. Clinical examination was performed using generally accepted diagnostic methods. Radiographic assessment of third molar development was conducted according to the Demirjian method. Analysis of the timing of surgical intervention demonstrated that the shortest duration of extraction of two third molars on one side was observed in children aged 11–13 years and amounted to 14.25 ± 0.59 minutes, which may be explained by the lower invasiveness of surgical procedures at this stage of tooth development. The duration of surgery varied across age groups. In children aged 11–13 years, operative time ranged from 13.25 to 15.08 minutes and showed minimal interindividual variability. With increasing patient age, greater variability in procedure duration was observed; in Group II, operative time ranged from 13.50 to 18.30 minutes. The greatest variation was recorded in children aged 16–18 years, ranging from 14.50 to 25.74 minutes. The findings indicate that progression of third molar development is associated with increased duration of surgical extraction. During postoperative follow-up, children in Group I demonstrated fewer manifestations of inflammatory response, likely due to the shorter duration and lower traumaticity of surgical intervention. In contrast, children in Groups II and III exhibited more pronounced and prolonged postoperative clinical symptoms, affecting a larger proportion of patients and indicating the development of a more intense postoperative inflammatory response.</jats:p>