title: Reproducibility of adjunct techniques for diagnosis of dental caries in an epidemiological situation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the reproducibility of visual exams under natural light (VE1), visual exams under artificial light (VE2), radiographic bitewing exams (BW), fibre optic transillumination exams (FOTI) and DIAGNOdent exams (DD) in epidemiological settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three examiners and one benchmark examiner examined thirteen 12-year-old schoolchildren under epidemiological conditions for the D3 (carious lesions in dentin) and D1+D3 (carious lesions in enamel or dentin) diagnostic criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The reproducibility (intra/interexaminer agreement) under both diagnostic criteria was 'almost perfect' for the exams VE1 (D3: κintra = 0.91/κinter = 0.85; D1+D3: κintra = 0.89/κinter = 0.84), VE2 (D3: κintra = 0.91/κinter = 0.85; D1+D3: κintra = 0.88/κinter = 0.83), BW (D3: κintra = 0.95/κinter = 0.92; D1+D3: κintra = 0.99/κinter = 0.90) and FOTI (D3: κintra = 0.97/κinter = 0.93; D1+D3: κintra = 0.87/κinter = 0.83) exams and 'fair' for the DD exam (D3: κintra = 0.36/κinter = 0.35; D1+D3: κintra = 0.30/κinter = 0.32).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It was concluded that the VE1, VE2, BW, and FOTI exams presented good reproducibility under epidemiological conditions, and can be used accurately in epidemiological surveys.
authors: State University of Campinas, Piracicaba, Brazil. apereira@fop.unicamp.br
authors: Renato Pereira
authors: RP
authors: da Silva
authors: Andréa Videira
authors: AV
authors: Assaf
authors: Stela Márcia
authors: SM
authors: Pereira
authors: Gláucia Maria
authors: GM
authors: Ambrosano
authors: Fábio Luiz
authors: FL
authors: Mialhe
authors: Antonio Carlos
authors: AC
authors: Pereira
mesh_terms: D002138:Calibration; D002648:Child; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000473:pathology; D003793:Dental Restoration, Permanent; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers; D008029:Lighting; D015588:Observer Variation; D055100:Optical Fibers; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000592:standards; D016300:Radiography, Bitewing / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014172:Transillumination / Q000592:standards