Mc. Downer et Ej. Kay, RESTORATIVE TREATMENT DECISIONS FROM BITEWING RADIOGRAPHS - PERFORMANCE OF DENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGISTS AND GENERAL DENTAL PRACTITIONERS, Community dentistry and oral epidemiology, 24(2), 1996, pp. 101-105
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Dentistry,Oral Surgery & Medicine","Public, Environmental & Occupation Heath
The object of the study was to compare the performance of a group of e
ight trained and standardized dental epidemiologists making restorativ
e treatment decisions with that of a group of 20 general dental practi
tioners. Both groups read the same set of 15 pairs of simulated bitewi
ng radiographs. For each approximal tooth surface image, the examiners
were asked to record on a six-point rating scale the confidence with
which they would or would not place a restoration. A histological gold
standard was available, based on microscopic evaluation of sections o
f the extracted teeth used for study. The reference criterion was ''ca
ries into dentine''. The only statistically significant differences in
performance between the two groups were at the ''definitely'' plus ''
probably'' restore rating level. For the proportions of correct decisi
ons out of all treatment decisions at this level, the epidemiologists
scored 89% compared with 86% for the practitioners (P<0.01) while for
Youden's J index, the corresponding values were 0.44 and 0.34 (P<0.05)
. The findings suggest that the benefits in improved performance from
examiner training may be small.