Validity, reliability and reproducibility of three methods used to measure tooth widths for Bolton analyses
Online veröffentlicht: 14. Dez. 2023
Seitenbereich: 97 - 103
Eingereicht: 01. Nov. 2008
Akzeptiert: 01. Feb. 2009
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoj-2009-0014
© 2009 Devan Naidu et al., published by Sciendo
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Background
Vernier calipers have traditionally been used as the ‘gold-standard’ for tooth width measurements. New digital methods may prove to be as valid, reliable and reproducible as caliper measurements.
Aims
To determine the validity, reliability and reproducibility of mesio-distal crown measurements made with calipers, using the DigiModel method and on digital photographs, and to determine the validity, reliability and reproducibility when the measurements are employed in Bolton tooth size analyses.
Methods
Twenty-five consecutive study models were used. The maximum mesio-distal crown widths of 12 teeth in each arch (first molar to first molar) were measured with digital calipers, using the DigiModel software (OrthoProof, Caulfield South, Victoria, Australia) and on standardised digital photographs of the models by eight examiners. One examiner measured all models three times using the three measurement methods, two examiners measured all models once using the three measurement methods and five examiners measured all models once using the calipers only. Validity for the widths of individual teeth, the mean tooth width and the Bolton ratios were assessed using a general linear model two-way analysis of variance and pair-wise comparisons between the two digital methods and the calipers. Reliability was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha and reproducibility with the intra-class correlation coefficient.
Results
There were statistically significant differences between the tooth widths measured with DigiModel and the calipers (
Conclusions
The validities of DigiModel and digital photographs for tooth width measurements and Bolton analyses are clinically acceptable. The reliability of both methods is also excellent. However, DigiModel software provided more accurate Bolton’s ratios and demonstrated greater reproducibility than the digital photographs.