Application of balance index standards.

The Balance Index is a list of standards by which instructors can assess the postures and position in the clinical performance of dental students. The purpose of this study was to examine the basic reliability of clinical instructors' understanding and application of the Balance Index. Certain reference Balance Index standards (Back Vertical, Head Position, Elbow/Arm Position and Wrist Bend) were learned and applied by eighteen clinical instructors, and the effectiveness of one instructor training method was evaluated. The results indicated that a simple graphic and numerical presentation of the Balance Index can be a useful tool to help clinical instructors learn how to assess postural and positional balance. It was also found that a feedback exercise using measured, graded variations of performance imbalances is likely to promote higher intra-rater (and inter-rater) reliability for evaluation of certain postural/positional components of dental clinical performance.