Do tooth gaps matter? Evaluation of self-assessments: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Dentistry
• Oral Health
• Patient Self-Assessment

Background:

• Patient perception of oral health is crucial for treatment adherence.
• Accurate self-assessment of dental status, including tooth count and gaps, is important for effective communication with dentists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of patient self-assessments of tooth count and tooth gaps compared to dentist evaluations.
• To determine the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of patient gap detection.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 49 patients and their dentists compared self-reported tooth counts and gaps with clinical findings.
• Statistical analysis included calculating sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and Pearson's correlation.

Main Results:

• Patients demonstrated acceptable sensitivity (79%) and excellent specificity (96%) in detecting tooth gaps.
• No significant differences were found in overall tooth counting between patients and dentists.
• Patients reported more gaps than dentists, with minor discrepancies in tooth counts between jaws.

Conclusions:

• Patient self-assessment of tooth gaps is a reliable indicator, particularly regarding specificity.
• While minor differences exist, patient and dentist reports on tooth presence and gaps show good agreement.
• Further large-scale studies are recommended to validate these findings.