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Agreement among instruments of quantitative evaluation of the hard palate in children
Luana Cristina Berwig1, Mariana Marquezan2, Jovana de Moura Milanesi3
1Serviço de Fonoaudiologia, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre - HCPA - Porto Alegre (RS), Brasil.
Insights
This study compared methods for measuring the hard palate in children. While most instruments agreed on transverse dimensions, only the bow divider showed ideal agreement for vertical measurements.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Orthodontics
- Craniofacial research
Background:
- Accurate hard palate measurements are crucial for diagnosing and treating dental and craniofacial anomalies.
- Various instruments exist for quantitative evaluation, but their comparative agreement requires thorough investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the inter-instrument reliability for quantitative hard palate evaluation in children.
- To compare measurements obtained from digital calipers, Korkhaus bows, and cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involved 30 children aged 6-11 years.
- Measurements were taken using digital calipers, Korkhaus bows (intraoral and cast), and CBCT imaging.
- Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate agreement among instruments.
Main Results:
- Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) yielded lower transverse dimension means compared to other instruments.
- Agreement was lower between CBCT and other methods for canine and first molar widths.
- Acceptable agreement was found for first and second premolar widths.
- Good concordance was observed for palate depth at the second premolar region using a bow divider intraorally and on casts.
Conclusions:
- Most instruments demonstrated satisfactory agreement for transverse hard palate measurements.
- The bow divider applied intraorally and on casts showed ideal agreement for vertical palate dimensions.
Purpose:
To evaluate the agreement among instruments of the quantitative evaluation of hard palate.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was performed with a sample of 30 children aged 6 to 11 from Santa Maria, Southern Brazil. The instruments for palate measurements evaluated were: digital caliper, used directly in the oral cavity and in plaster casts, Korkhaus tridimensional bow, used directly in the oral cavity and in plaster casts, and Dolphin Imaging Software used for measurements in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). The agreement among different instruments was evaluated using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC).
Results:
The means of all transversal dimensions obtained by cone-beam computed tomography were lower than those of the other instruments - the agreement values in the width between the canines and in the width between the first molars were lower when comparing the cone-beam computed tomography and the other instruments. In the width between the first and second premolars, all comparisons showed acceptable agreement values. Good concordance values were obtained when comparing the palate depth at the second premolar region when using a bow divider inside the oral cavity and in the cast.
Conclusion:
Most instruments presented satisfactory agreement in the measurements related to the transverse plane of the hard palate. However, when the vertical plane was evaluated, only the bow divider applied to both cast and oral cavity presented ideal agreement.
