Presentation of quantitative tooth wear data to clinicians

Objective: The purpose of this study was to ascertain the ease of interpret ation and usefulness of different modes of presenting quantitative tooth we ar data to clinicians. Method and Materials: A questionnaire that sought to ascertain both the ease of interpretation and usefulness of different mode s of presentation for monitoring tooth wear was distributed to 67 clinician s. These modes (contour maps, surface topography and difference plots, and color-coded surface difference plots) were a product of ongoing development that used a mathematic algorithm to defect and quantify wear of teeth with time. A follow-up questionnaire, based on a fusion of the desirable featur es of surface topography and color-coded surface difference plots was distr ibuted to 40 of the original respondents to ascertain any improvement in cl arity. Results: In all respects, contour maps were rated significantly more difficult to interpret and less useful than the other techniques evaluated . No significant difference was detected between the other modalities. The follow-up questionnaire demonstrated a significantly enhanced utility of th e revised plot in informing the clinician as to the worn sites and quantify of wear. Conclusion: The combined mode of presentation seems an excellent way of presenting wear results to clinicians for clinical application.