Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop a computer program for the ability to evaluate the periodontal health status of school children (Development of Ability to Assess Gingival Status of Children, DAAGS-C) for the benefit of the medical staff, and to examine the intra-examiner reproducibility of the assessment by the computer program.
The examination was conducted wi th 34 dentists as the subjects. First of all, standardized color photos for the demonstration of golden standards (G. S. ) were shown to understand the Oral Rating Index for Children (ORI-C). The G. S. for each slide was determined by the agreement with the preventive dentist with 24 years of experience and the pediatric dentist with 17 years of experience. When each intra-oral color slide was shown by a computer, the dentists judged ORI-C level (+2 to - 2) of the 24 color slides one by one. The number of answers showing agreement (coincident with G. S. ), reproducibility (judgment in the same 5 pairs of slides) and extreme answers (apart from two or more margins to G. S. ) were calculated. According to the DAAGS-C criteria, the ability to evaluate the periodontal health status was assessed. The first evaluation was compared with the second evaluation, which was judged at two-weeks intervals without any practice. After the second test completed, questionnaires were filled out.
There were no sign ificant differences in the mean number of answers showing agreement, reproducibility and extreme answers between the first and second test. The results of the present study showed the intra-examiner reproducibility of the assessment by the computer program. Furthermore, approximately 90% of the dentists answered, “The computer program motivates them to understand the periodontal health level”. Further, they answered, “It is necessary to repeat the practice to evaluate periodontal health level by ORI-C”.
In conclusion, the results of this study indicate the intra-examiner reproducibility of the assessment by the computer program and it was suggested that the computer program could be an useful tool to enable not only dentists but also auxiliary dental workers and health educators to evaluate the periodontal health level of children.
