Measuring Oral Health

Question 1

What is an index?

Answer 1

an instrument to enable the quantity of a disease to be measured

Question 2

What do indices allow for?

Answer 2

comparisons between different studies and date sets

Question 3

What are common indices used in epidemiological dentistry?

Answer 3

Caries Periodontal disease Tooth erosion enamel opacities

Question 4

What are the 8 properties of an ideal index?

Answer 4

simple objective valid reliable reproducible quantifiable sensitive acceptable

Question 5

What 4 things do the terms simple and objective indices refer to?

Answer 5

1. examiners should be able to learn and understand the criteria 2. Categories should be mutually exclusive 3. Decision making should be objective rather then subjective to the examiners opinion 4. Relates to the clinical stages of the condition it is measuring

Question 6

What do the terms valid, reliable and reproducible indices refer to?

Answer 6

Index must measure what it sets out to measure Good sensitivity and sensibility Same result obtained each time test is applied inter and intra-examiner reliabilty

Question 7

What do the terms quantifiable, sensitive and acceptable indices mean?

Answer 7

index must be ameanble to statistical analysis detect reasonable small changes cannot cause harm/discomfort to the subject

Question 8

What indices are available for measuring oral health?

Answer 8

Missing teeth Caries (DMFT) Periodontal disease (BPE) Enamel opactities (Deans index) Tooth surface loss

Question 9

What is the difference between DMFT and dmft?

Answer 9

DMFT= permanent teeth

Question 10

What does DMFS mean?

Answer 10

Decayed, missing or filled surfaces

Question 11

What does Mean DMFT measure?

Answer 11

avergae caries for population

Question 12

WHat is the problem with using mean DMFT?

Answer 12

not that valid since the value for DMFT is often skewed by the percentage of people that do not have any caries

Question 13

What does the proportion of DMFT look at? and what does it measure

Answer 13

the percentage of DMFT which is greater than 0. this measures prevlance

Question 14

How can you look at the severity of DMFT?

Answer 14

by looking at the DMFT of those with a DMFT greater than 0

Question 15

What does FT/DMFT relate to?

Answer 15

this relates to the care index

Question 16

What must all examiners using dental indices undergo?

Answer 16

training and calibration

Question 17

Why is it important for there to be training and calibration?

Answer 17

to understand rules about examination conditons to create a set of scoring criteria Examiners must be calibrated must reject an outlying examiners

Question 18

What are the limitations of DMF index?

Answer 18

1. it is a historical index (does indicate risk of future decay) 2. Measures previous disease but not current disease 3. assumues missing teeth are due to caries 4. the score is irrerverble (can only increase or stay the same with time) 5. Little information about health needs 6. Nothing about function/pain/discomfort/social health impact 7. influenced by treatment decisions of clinicians 8. problems with mixed dentition stages 9. difficult to statistically analyse

Question 19

How can periodontal disease be measured?

Answer 19

CIPTN (commnity periodontal index of treatment need) BOP LOA PD Plaque index BPE

Question 20

what does the CPITN look into?

Answer 20

it looks at the need and not amount of activity of disease It is a screening test it identifies those that need treatment looks at the individual not population

Question 21

How can you measure malocclusion?

Answer 21

IOTN

Question 22

Why was the IOTN developed?

Answer 22

to identify those that need treatment

Question 23

At what level, population/individual, does the IOTN and CPITN index work at?

Answer 23

individual

Question 24

How easily can erosion be measured?

Answer 24

not very since there is a low level of agreement between examiners when measuring tooth surface loss which means it is not reproducible

Question 25

How else can oral health be measured other than dental indices?

Answer 25

socia-dental measures

Question 26

WHat do socio-dental measures look at?

Answer 26

they encompass social, functional and QOL measures

Question 27

What do socio-dental measures recognise?

Answer 27

limitations of professional defined needs

Question 28

What so QOL measures consider?

Answer 28

the impacts of dental health on QOL, showsthe relative importance of oral health

Question 29

What is QOL measures a better measure of?

Answer 29

the perceived needs

Question 30

What can QOL measures be used as?

Answer 30

outcome measures

Question 31

What are the three dimensions of QOL indicators?

Answer 31

function social psychological

Question 32

What does the functional aspect of QOL consider?

Answer 32

pain discomfort eating restriction

Question 33

What does the social aspect of QOL consider?

Answer 33

ability to perform normal social roles

Question 34

What do the psychological aspects of QOL consider?

Answer 34

appearance ability to relax/sleep bullying

Question 35

T/F

CPITN is a screening test fo periodontal disease?

Answer 35

T

Question 36

WHat does CPITN stand for?

Answer 36

Community periodontal index for treatment needs

Question 37

Who developed the CPITN?

Answer 37

Joint working commitee composed of WHO and FDI (federation Dentaire Internaciaonale)