New Scales for Residual Ridge Height Assessment of Edentulous Patients

Methods: The sites corresponding to the right and left first molars in study models (100 sets) of edentulous maxillas and mandibles were examined. Subjective evaluation and evaluation used "examination scale" with three-grade (high, middle, low) scale were performed by 16 dentists (less than 3 years of clinical experience: 8, more than 7 years of clinical experience: 8). Objective evaluation was performed with digital vernier calipers for residual ridge vertical height. Agreement among subjective evaluation, objective evaluation, and evaluation used "examination scale" were examined with kappa statistics.

Results: Marked variations was noted in the relation between subjective evaluation and objective evaluation regardless of the individual's clinical experience. Agreement among subjective evaluation and objective evaluation was low with low kappa values(maxillas: less than 3 years of clinical experience: 0.384, more than 7 years of clinical experience: 0.317, mandibles: less than 3 years of clinical experience: 0.351, more than 7 years of clinical experience: 0.429).However, relatively low variations was noted in the relation between evaluation used "examination scale" and objective evaluation regardless of the individual's clinical experience. Agreement among evaluation used "examination scale" and objective evaluation was high with high kappa values (maxillas: less than 3 years of clinical experience: 0.684, more than 7 years of clinical experience: 0.687, mandibles: less than 3 years of clinical experience: 0.568, more than 7 years of clinical experience: 0.604).

Conclusion: The assessment by the newly developed examination scales for residual ridge height of edentulous patients was well agreed with objective evaluation, indicating high utility of this scale.