Performance of experienced dentists in Switzerland after an e-learning program on ICDAS occlusal caries detection.
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an e-learning program on the validity and reproducibility of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) in detecting occlusal caries. For the study, 170 permanent molars were selected. Four dentists in Switzerland who had no previous contact with ICDAS examined the teeth before and after the e-learning program and scored the sites according to ICDAS. Teeth were histologically prepared and assessed for caries extension. The significance level was set at 0.05. Sensitivity before and after the e-learning program was 0.80 and 0.77 (D1), 0.72 and 0.63 (D2), and 0.74 and 0.67 (D3,4), respectively. Specificity was 0.64 and 0.69 (D1), 0.70 and 0.81 (D2), and 0.81 and 0.87 (D3,4). A McNemar test did not show any difference between the values of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the ROC curve (AUC) before and after the e-learning program. The averages of wK values for interexaminer reproducibility were 0.61 (before) and 0.66 (after). Correlation with histology presented wK values of 0.62 (before) and 0.63 (after). A Wilcoxon test showed a statistically significant difference between before and after the e-learning program. In conclusion, even though ICDAS performed well in detecting occlusal caries, the e-learning program did not have any statistically significant effect on its performance by these experienced dentists.
Federal University of Rio Grande de Sul, UFRGS, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2492, Porto Alegre-RS, Brazil. jorodrigues@ufrgs.br
Jonas Almeida
JA
Rodrigues
Renata Schlesner
RS
de Oliveira
Isabel
I
Hug
Klaus
K
Neuhaus
Adrian
A
Lussi
D019540:Area Under Curve; D059019:Clinical Coding; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003663:Decision Trees; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000473:pathology; D003804:Dentin / Q000473:pathology; D003815:Dentists; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008963:Molar / Q000473:pathology; D008964:Molar, Third / Q000473:pathology; D015588:Observer Variation; D012372:ROC Curve; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013557:Switzerland; D019228:Tooth Crown / Q000473:pathology*
ICDAS; Switzerland; caries; caries detection; continuing dental education; e-learning; occlusal caries