title: 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 x5-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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Periodontology, School of Dentistry, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Wouters
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lavstedt
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Frithiof
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Söder
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Helldén
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000539:Alveolar Process / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011859:Radiography; D013548:Sweden; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014092:Tooth Root / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging