A computerized system to measure interproximal alveolar bone levels in epidemiologic, radiographic investigations: II. Intra-and inter-examiner variation study

Abstract

The study was aimed at analyzing intra-and inter-examiner variations in computerized measurement and in non-measurability of alveolar bone level in a cross-sectional, epidemiologic material. At each interproximal tooth surface, alveolar bone height in percentage of root length (B/R) and tooth length (B/T) were determined twice by one examiner and once by a second examiner from ×5-magnified periapical radiographs. The overall intra-and inter-examiner variations in measurement were 2.85% and 3.84% of root length and 1.97% and 2.82% of tooth length, respectively. The variations were different for different tooth groups and for different degrees of severity of marginal periodontitis. The overall proportions of non-measurable tooth surfaces varied with examiner from 32% to 39% and from 43% to 48% of the available interproximal tooth surfaces for B/R and B/T, respectively. With regard to the level of reliability, the computerized method reported is appropriate to cross-sectional, epidemiologic investigations from radiographs.

Key Words:

• Calibration
• examiners
• computers
• periodontitis
• marginal
• radiography
• dental