Dental caries surveys

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the impact of the recording of teeth whose clinical conditions rarely vary (anterior teeth and third molars) in inter-examiner agreement measurements. Methods: Clinical data from 56 schoolchildren, 12 years of age, previously collected by two examiners, according to the “Oral Health Surveys: basic methods” codes and criteria, were analyzed in the present study. The effects from including/excluding such teeth upon reproducibility were measured by general percentage agreement (GPA) and Kappa statistics (к) performances. Results: The exclusion of anterior teeth associated with the inclusion of third molars produced a decrease in GPA that was simultaneous to an increase in the weighted Kappa (nominal data) and simple (dichotomous data) values. The incorrect inclusion of third molars (GPA = 100%; к = + 1) in the reproducibility measurement artificially increased the inter-examiner Kappa values. Conclusion: The inclusion/exclusion of anterior teeth and third molars, seeking a more reliable agreement among examiners, can have a positive or negative impact on the measured reproducibility values. A clear warning about the impact of including third molars in the reproducibility measurement, in the 12 years old age group, should be performed in “Oral Health Surveys: basic methods” and similar manuals.