Accuracy and reproducibility of dental caries risk classification in São Paulo, Brazil / Acurácia e reprodutibilidade da classificação de risco de cárie dentária em São Paulo, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of the dental caries risk classification applied in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in an attempt to organize the demand for primary care in oral health. Materials and Methods: Eleven dentists independently examined 120 individuals (75 from 12 to 19 years of age and 45 from 35 to 44 years of age) by visual inspection, and classified them into six codes ranging from A to F, in which code A indicated the healthiest individual (low-risk) and F indicated the sickest individual (high-risk). Theagreement between the intraexaminer and the gold standard examiner was evaluated by Kappa. The percentageof agreement, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value regarding the goldstandard examiner was also calculated. Results: It could be observed that 60.0% of the individuals examinedwere considered sick, while 40.0% were considered healthy. Values for intra and inter-examiner agreementwere k=0.66 and k=0.72, respectively. The percentage of agreement, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictivevalue, and negative predictive values were 83.8%, 82.5%, 85.8%, 90.2%, and 76.9%, respectively. Conclusion:This study suggests that the dental caries risk classification, with its various levels of standardization, presentedgood accuracy and reasonable reproducibility, as well as a low cost a and a relatively low demand for resources. As such, this risk classification is recommended for large-scale use.