An index for evaluating wear of teeth

An index for evaluation of dental wear based on Ryge's system comprising three satisfactory and two not acceptable categories was tested in two different age groups of individuals with brain damage. Group 1 consisted of 12 individuals, 3 women and 9 men, with a mean age of 34.5 years. Group 2 consisted of 13 individuals, 4 women and 9 men, with a mean age of 45.1 years. The wear was evaluated by three examiners, two dentists and one dental hygienist. The examiners worked independently, having available at all times the written criteria and a photographic guide illustrating the lowest limit of each category. Each tooth was given a rating in accordance with the index, and the interexaminer agreement of 612 such evaluations was approximately 85%. Each person was given an individual wear rating corresponding to the most severe category comprising 90% of the tooth ratings. The difference in the distribution of individual ratings between the two groups was tested for significance by the ridit method. Significantly greater wear was observed in group 2 than in group 1, indicating a good sensitivity of the index.