Correlation of Variables for WHARFE Assessment and Pederson Difficulty Index for Impacted Mandibular Third Molar Surgery-A Prospective Clinical Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the correlation of factors of WHARFE assessment and Pederson difficulty index for impacted mandibular third molar surgery. STUDY
DESIGN: A comparative study of difficult factors utilizing Pederson WHARFE and WAR lines was performed involving patients undergoing surgical removal of mandibular third molars for 100 such teeth.
RESULTS: The Spearman's rho correlation run to determine the relationship between Pederson difficulty index and WHARFE assessment values showed a strong, positive monotonic correlation at the 0.05 level (2-tailed; rs = 0.242, n = 100, p = 0.015 < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: The study has revealed WHARFE assessment to be a more reliable and consistent measure for the radiological evaluation of surgical difficulty over the contemporary Pederson difficulty index. © The Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons of India 2020.