title: [Consistency of the subjective evaluation of malocclusion severity by the Chinese orthodontic experts].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the consistency of the subjective evaluation of malocclusion severity by the Chinese orthodontic experts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-nine Chinese orthodontic experts subjectively evaluated the malocclusion severity for 120 cases which were selected randomly from 6 University orthodontic clinics by checking each case's pretreatment records including study cast, lateral head film, panoramic radiograph, facial photographs and patient chart. Each orthodontist was asked to independently rate the severity of every case into five grades: mild, mildly moderate, moderate, severely moderate and severe. Rating data was finally gathered to evaluate the intra-judge's reliability and the inter-judges' consistency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Weighted Kappa test revealed that 8.33% orthodontists showed excellent intra-judge's reliability (Kappa ≥ 0.81), 78.33% orthodontists showed good intra-judge's reliability (Kappa ≥ 0.61) and 96.67% specialists displayed general intra-judge's reliability (Kappa ≥ 0.41). And intra-class correlation coefficient demonstrated a high level of inter-judges' consistency (r=0.989, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good intra-judge's reliability and inter-judges' consistency can be demonstrated in the subjective evaluation of malocclusion severity by the Chinese orthodontic experts, which could the basis for establishing the objective grading system of malocclusion severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Si-qi
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Ding
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-jing
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Da-wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei-ran
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Tian-min
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D015588:Observer Variation; D009970:Orthodontics; D019239:Practice Patterns, Dentists' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult