Clinical evaluation of complete denture therapy: examiner consistency

Criteria were developed to clinically evaluate denture base stability and retention. Six completely edentulous subjects participated in the study. Each patient was treated with two sets of complete dentures. Six prosthodontists who were not involved in the patients' treatment evaluated the stability and retention of each denture at the delivery appointment and weekly for the following 2 weeks by means of criteria in a standardized form. Evaluation of stability and retention for maxillary and mandibular complete dentures worn during weeks 1 and 2 were compared with the evaluations made at the delivery appointment for each denture. In tabulation of the data, the criteria considered reliable were mandibular denture retention, maxillary denture retention evaluated unilaterally, and maxillary denture stability. In each category most examiners rated the judgments the same or better when compared with the delivery appointment data for each patient.