title: The influence of examination of the assessment of the intra-examiner error by using the plaque and gingival index systems.
abstract: The plaque situation on 48 surfaces in 31 children 13 years of age was assessed. A re-examination within 2 hours indicated a significant increase in the number of O Plaque Index scores. Following paired comparison of each of the 48 areas, 22 % of the surfaces were found to have changed score. Significantly more scores indicating improvement of the plaque situation were found at the second examination. A re-examination of plaque on consecutive days in a similar group of children showed no significant changes. Re-examination of the gingival conditions within 2 hours indicated a significant increase in the number of scores of 2 and this was confirmed by the paired comparison on the 48 surfaces. The findings indicate systematic errors rather than intra-examiner inconsistency.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D010512:Periodontal Index