The 5-year-olds' index, the GOSLON Yardstick index, and the modified Huddart/Bodenham index among children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate: A methodological study

Abstract

Background: The function of many orthodontic indices is to assess occlusion in patients born with a cleft. The aim of this study was to assess the intra- and interexaminer reliability for the 5-year-olds' (5YO) index, the GOSLON Yardstick index, and the modified Huddart/Bodenham (MHB) index in dental casts of children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP); a further aim is to compare the indices to each other. Methods: Forty dental casts from 5-year-old nonsyndromic patients with complete UCLP who had undergone primary surgery at Skane University Hospital in Malmo, Sweden, were examined by two examiners: one orthodontic specialist and one general dentist. Results: Intraexaminer reliability for 5YO and MHB had a substantial (κ: 0.61–0.80) to almost perfect agreement ( κ: 0.81–1.00) and GOSLON Yardstick moderate (κ: 0.41–0.60) to almost perfect agreement. Grouped teeth or single-tooth MHB had an almost perfect agreement for both examiners. Interexaminer reliability for 5YO had a moderate agreement, whereas GOSLON Yardstick and MHB had a fair agreement (κ: 0.21–0.40). Grouped teeth or single-tooth MHB had an almost perfect agreement. Conclusions: The 5YO index illustrates the occlusion and has a high degree of reliability for an experienced orthodontist. The GOSLON Yardstick also illustrates the occlusion, but reliability between assessments is lower. MHB index can be used with a high degree of reliability when categorized as grouped or single tooth, but the judgment of total occlusion is more uncertain.