Occlusal indexes as judged by subjective opinions

IntroductionAn orthodontic index is validated by comparing its scores with a gold standard, commonly the consensus opinion of a group of experienced orthodontists. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate contemporary occlusal indexes against the subjective opinions of people with varying levels of dental knowledge.MethodsRandomly selected orthodontic study models (n = 25) with full permanent dentitions were scored according to the peer assessment rating (PAR) index, the index of complexity, outcome, and need (ICON), and the occlusal index (OI). The models were also scored according to the subjective opinion of orthodontists (n = 10), general dentists (n = 10), and social workers (n = 10) by using a Q-sort assessment.ResultsHigh correlation coefficients were found between the panelists and the occlusal indexes. The average correlation was about 0.8.ConclusionsRegardless of background and clinical experience, people with various levels of dental knowledge have similar opinions when quantifying relationships of teeth and dental arches.