Operator agreement in the use of a descriptive index of complete denture quality.
METHODS
No generally accepted method for classification of clinical quality of complete dentures exists. While various methods have been proposed, little effort has been made to test observer agreement. The purpose of this study was to test observer agreement in the clinical assessment of complete denture quality using a systematic classification.


RESULTS
Fifty seven (57) complete denture-wearing patients were examined on two occasions separated by two weeks. Observer agreement was measured using Cohen's? (kappa). High levels of observer agreement were found for upper and lower retention and stability and for quality of retruded jaw relationship.


CONCLUSIONS
High levels of operator agreement were found for a method for classification of clinical quality of complete dentures suggesting that the classification may be useful as a research tool.
Fenlon
M R
MR
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Dentistry, Guy's Hospital, London.
Sherriff
M
M
D003781:Denture Retention; D003824:Denture, Complete / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D015203:Reproducibility of Results