title: Comparison of intra-examiner reproducibility in scoring caries in primary teeth of two scoring systems used to monitor caries progression.
abstract: The investigation was designed to compare the reproducibility of scoring systems proposed by Pitts (1), and Murray & Majid (2), when used to monitor caries progression in primary teeth. A sub-sample of the posterior bitewing radiographs of 301, 5-yr-old children from a Duraphat clinical trial were re-examined. The difference in the reproducibility of the two methods was not significant (P greater than 0.05). The concern regarding the effect on reproducibility of using scoring systems with subdivisions of enamel when measuring caries progression in primary teeth appears to be unfounded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Dentistry, University of Western Cape, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Solanki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheiham
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014094:Tooth, Deciduous / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology