T Subbalekshmi, Anandan Vasanthakumari, Apathsakayan Renugalekshmi
Pediatric Dentistry, Sri ramachandra University.
Paediatric Dentistry, Adhiparasakthi Dental College & Hospital.
Cureus. 2017 Jul 1;9(7):e1416. doi: 10.7759/cureus.1416.
Aim The aim of this study was to assess the reliability and feasibility of using teledentistry for the screening and diagnosis of dental caries in children between the age groups of three to six years. Design This study included a total of 318 school-going children whose caries scores were calculated by visual method and using digital photographs generated by an intraoral camera by two examiners: examiner 1 and examiner 2 (E1 and E2). Intra-examiner and inter-examiner variability were determined. Reliability was compared across the three groups. Results Intra-examiner and inter-examiner variability when compared revealed no significant difference. A Cronbach's alpha of 0.983 was generated, which shows high reliability. Conclusions Effective screening for early childhood caries (ECC) in young children was possible with digital images generated in a school setting, thus paving the way for the application of teledentistry as effective means for the diagnosis of dental caries.
目的 本研究的目的是评估使用远程牙科对3至6岁儿童龋齿进行筛查和诊断的可靠性和可行性。设计 本研究共纳入318名在校儿童，由两名检查者（检查者1和检查者2，即E1和E2）通过视觉方法并使用口腔内摄像头生成的数字照片计算其龋齿评分。确定了检查者内部和检查者之间的变异性。比较了三组之间的可靠性。结果 比较检查者内部和检查者之间的变异性，未发现显著差异。生成的Cronbach's α系数为0.983，显示出高可靠性。结论 利用在学校环境中生成的数字图像对幼儿进行有效的早期儿童龋齿（ECC）筛查是可行的，从而为将远程牙科作为龋齿诊断的有效手段的应用铺平了道路。
