Reprodutibilidade de um índice para diagnóstico e avaliação da atividade de lesões de cárie dentária na dentição decídua

Abstract

The aim of the present clinical study was to evaluate the inter-and intra-examiner reliability of a caries diagnostic criteria (Nyvad et al. 1999) in the deciduous dentition and to assess the mean examination time. This criteria is based on a combination of visual and tactile methods and differentiates between active and inactive caries lesions at both cavitated and non-cavitated levels. A sample of 80 children aged 3 to 7 years-old, students from Centro Educacional Terra Santa school (Petrópolis/ RJ), participated in the study. Parents signed informed consent forms and the study was approved by the Committee for Ethics in Research, Rio de Janeiro State University. Examinations were performed after supervised toothbrushing, under standardized conditions, using dental chair, artificial light and compressed air, by two calibrated examiners previously trained by two of the criteria s authors. The inter-and intra-examiner reliability was expressed as percentage agreement (%) and Cohen´s kappa (k) at tooth surface level, using the following cut-off points: 1) sound versus diseased; 2) active versus inactive; 3) discontinuity level versus sound; e 4) cavity level versus sound. The % and the k value for inter-examiner for each cut-off points were: 1) % = 0.97 and k = 0.82 (CI: 0.80 0.85); 2) % = 0.98 and k = 0.80 (CI: 0.76 0.83); 3) % = 0.99 and k = 0.90 (CI: 0.88 0.93); 4) % = 99.0 and k = 0.95 (CI: 0.92 0.97). The % and the k value for intra-examiner for each cut-off points were: 1) % = 0.98 and k = 0.86 (CI: 0.84 0.86); 2) % = 0.99 and k = 0.86 (CI: 0.83 0.89); 3) % = 0.99 and k = 0.94 (CI: 0.92 0.96); 4) % = 0.99 and k = 0.98 (CI: 0.96 0.99). The majority of disagreements (65,3% - 158/242) were concentrated in sound and non-cavitated surfaces: 33,5% (81/242) in sound and non-cavitated inactive, 26,0% (63/242) in sound and non-cavitated active and 5,8% (14/242) in non-cavitated active and inactive. The mean examination time was 226,5s (±128,53). It can be concluded from the present data that Nyvad´s caries diagnostic criterion showed substantial to almost perfect reliability and suitable examination time, being consistent and reliable for dental caries clinical studies in deciduous teeth.