Accuracy of partial protocol to assess prevalence and factors associated with dental caries in schoolchildren between 8-12 years of age

• Autor(a) principal: Eduarda Rodrigues Dutra
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: Luiz Alexandre Chisini, Mariana Gonzalez Cademartori, Luísa Jardim Corrêa de Oliveira, Flávio Fernando Demarco, Marcos Britto Correa
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
• Texto Completo: https://cadernos.ensp.fiocruz.br/ojs/index.php/csp/article/view/6781
• topic: Dental Caries; Oral Diagnosis; Data Accuracy; Child

The aim of this study was to test accuracy and reliability of a partial protocol (PP) of oral examination involving the permanent first molars. This cross-sectional study was carried out in two stages. First, a cross-sectional study was performed in a representative sample of 1,211 children using DMFT-index in a full-mouth protocol (FM). A PP was simulated from FM data using only data from the permanent first molars. A second part was performed with 202 children examined by a gold standard examiner (FM) and three dentists using the PP to assess its reliability. Accuracy of PP was assessed by sensitivity/specificity/predictive positive and negative values. Inter-examiner reliability in comparison with gold standard examiner was assessed using weighted kappa. The prevalence of dental caries observed using DMFT index was 32.4% and was 30.2% for PP . The PP presented high sensitivity (93.1%; 95%CI: 91.5-94.5), showing similar magnitude of association’s measures for all associated factors investigated. When compared with the gold standard FM examination, all examiners obtained high parameters of sensitivity and specificity (around 90%). Predictive negative values were higher than predictive positive values for the examiners. This study showed that this partial protocol involving the permanent first molars is accurate and reliable as a screening tool to assess dental caries prevalence and associated factors in schoolchildren.