P.N. Synodinos, N. Toutountzakis.
Δημοσιεύθηκε στο περιοδικό HELLENIC DENTAL JOURNAL, 16: 29-36, 2006.

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceived need for orthodontic treatment, as assessed by a group of graduate dental students of the University of Athens and a group of orthodontists, of cases with clinically missing or peg-shaped upper lateral incisors. 25 pre-treatment dental casts of orthodontic cases, were selected from the files of the Postgraduate Orthodontic Clinic of the University of Athens, representing the full range of severity of malocclusion, according to all 1-5 grades of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need. Two cases presenting clinically missing and one with peg-shaped maxillary lateral incisors were included in random order in the sample. 50 randomly selected graduate dental students and 30 orthodontists were asked to rate the study models separately, with respect to each cases perceived need for orthodontic treatment,according to a 1-5 scale. In all three cases of this study the ratings of the orthodontic group were higher and statistically significantly different than the respective ratings of the graduate students. A greater variance of the graduate students ratings was recorded for all three cases, a fact that underlies the need for their better education in order to calibrate their diagnostic methodology according to more objectively defined criteria. The relatively low intra-examiner agreement among the orthodontists indicates that the accurate assessment of cut-off points defining orthodontic treatment need, requires the further investigation of the validity and the reliability of occlusal indices in the Greek orthodontic community