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A visual analog scale for measuring dental fluorosis severity
Anya P G F Vieira1, Herenia P Lawrence, Hardy Limeback
1Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
Journal of the American Dental Association (1939)
|August 3, 2005
Summary
A new visual analog scale (VAS) for dental fluorosis (DF) was developed and validated. This simple, precise tool demonstrates excellent reliability and correlation with existing measures, proving useful for DF research.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
Background:
- No continuous scale currently exists for measuring dental fluorosis (DF) severity.
- Existing methods may lack the precision needed for comprehensive DF assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a visual analog scale (VAS) for measuring dental fluorosis (DF) severity.
- To assess the scale's utility in both clinical and laboratory settings.
Main Methods:
- A 100-millimeter VAS was created by 46 dentists and non-dentists grading DF severity in tooth photographs.
- Statistical analyses, including intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Spearman rank correlation (r(s)), were used for validation.
- Clinical and laboratory studies involving unerupted third molars were conducted to assess the VAS usefulness.
Main Results:
- The VAS demonstrated good to excellent inter- and intra-examiner reliability (ICC = .79 and .88–.97, respectively).
- Validation against Thylstrup-Fejerskov index (TFI) and Dean's index (DI) showed good to excellent correlation (r(s) = .922).
- Laboratory analysis revealed a stronger correlation between fluoride concentration and the VAS for DF than with the TFI.
Conclusions:
- The visual analog scale (VAS) for dental fluorosis (DF) is simple, precise, and statistically useful.
- The developed VAS is a valuable tool for future dental fluorosis research and studies.