The reliability of the iodide permeability test applied to the natural dentition

The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of the iodide permeability test when applied to the human dentition. Twenty-two subjects were seen once a week for three weeks. At each visit, consecutive iodide permeability measurements were obtained: four from the right central incisor and four from the left. Results of these trials were examined for the degree of variability from one replication to another within the same day, as well as for the variability from one week to the next. Within-day and between-week reliability of the test results was assessed by two indices: the Hoyt Index, which estimates the reliability of the average of the four replicate measurements per tooth, and the Intraclass correlation, which estimates the reliability of a single measurement. The results indicate that the iodide permeability test produces sufficiently replicable measurements for use in future clinical studies.