One of the most common procedures in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is third molar surgery. From prophylactic measures to large osteolytic lesions, there are various indications. Some of the consequences of this procedure are; edema, trismus and postoperative pain. Flap design is an important feature of surgical technique that plays a vital role in minimizing these consequences. The objective of this study is a post operative evaluation of included third molar jaw surgery using a linear flap on one side and a triangular flap on the other side of the same patient. A prospective study of 15 patients from the Dentistry College at the Major University was carried out. Before surgery standard photos were taken and maximum oral opening was measured for each patient. The edema, maximum oral opening and pain were measured 48 hours and 7 days after surgery. All of the data were analyzed statistically. There are no significant differences in the edema, ability to open the mouth or the level of pain using the two types of flap. There also is no correlation between the operation time and the three variables studied. The postoperative edema, pain and trismus after included third molar surgery are similar when using linear or triangular flap designs. The surgeon can choose one or the other indistinctly, according to his/her preference. © 2009 ergon.