Even though some instruments and methods exhibited good to excellent reliability and validity and can be recommended for research and clinical practice , they do not allow assessing all components of physical oral health .
OBJECTIVE This study aim ed at exploring available clinical instruments and methods for assessing physical oral health , and at identifying those with sufficient diagnostic performance .
Reliability of the craniomandibular index.
AIMS To examine various dimensions of reliability of the  Craniom and ibular Index , a commonly used instrument for quantifying the severity of signs and symptoms of temporom and ibular disorders . METHODS Classical psychometric theory and generalizability theory were used to assess the reliability of data obtained from a calibration study of examiners participating in a multi-site clinical trial and from a r and om community sample . RESULTS The reliability of aggregate scores formed by summing individual binary scored items was high , with intraclass correlations ranging from 0.81 to 0.88 . When it was required that examiners recognize and agree upon a specific pattern of signs and symptoms exhibited by a patient , however , reliability dropped dramatically ( multivariate kappas ranged from 0.26 to 0.32 ) . A group of practicing examiners also showed limited ability to agree with the pattern of signs and symptoms identified by a " gold st and ard " examiner ( multivariate kappas ranging from 0.25 to 0.32 ) . Generalizability analysis failed to identify the specific sources of measurement error that played a major role in limiting reliability but demonstrated that generalizability of aggregate scores was very high . CONCLUSION Methods of classical psychometric theory and generalizability theory support the conclusion that the reliability of aggregate scores is acceptably high . Individual items assessing certain aspects of jaw mobility and joint sounds are measured with poor reliability . Reliability declines when it is defined as the ability of examiners to agree among themselves upon a specific constellation of signs and symptoms or their ability to identify correctly a " correct " constellation identified by an expert examiner
Even though some instruments and methods exhibited good to excellent reliability and validity and can be recommended for research and clinical practice , they do not allow assessing all components of physical oral health .
OBJECTIVE This study aim ed at exploring available clinical instruments and methods for assessing physical oral health , and at identifying those with sufficient diagnostic performance .