Performance of ICDAS e-learning program in teaching graduate students on the detection of occlusal caries

ABSTRACT Objective: The aim was evaluate the validity and reproducibility of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) in detecting occlusal caries among graduate students after training using the e-learning program. Methods: A sample of forty-two primary teeth with different ranges of occlusal caries was selected. All teeth were mounted on a wax support and standardized photographs (EOS Rebel XTI, Canon, NY, USA) of the occlusal surfaces were taken. An experienced researcher randomly selected one specific site on the occlusal surface of each tooth to be examined later. Fifteen graduate students with no previous experience in the ICDAS scores completed the ICDAS e-learning program in Portuguese. After the training, visual examination of the occlusal surfaces was taken twice, independently, with a two-week interval. After visual examination, the teeth were longitudinally sectioned 1mm away from the previously selected occlusal site. The teeth were fixed on a wax support and photographed. Histological analysis was performed from these photographs by an experienced researcher to evaluate the depth of demineralization. Results: The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) inter-examiner values among all participants varied from 0.54 to 0.96 and intra-examiner ICC reproducibility of the examiners ranges from 0.61 to 0.85, showing good to excellent reproducibility. For detection of enamel and dentine lesions (D1), ICDAS obtained sensitivity 0.835 and specificity 0.756. For dentine lesions (D3), the method revealed an increase in sensitivity but specificity was similar to D1. Conclusion: ICDAS e-learning training program was efficient for the training of caries lesions detection among graduate students.