The validity and reproducibility of an oral rating index as a measurement of gingival health care and oral hygiene level in adults

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reproducibility of an oral rating index (ORI) as a conceptual measurement of “gingival health care” level in adults. The study was conducted on 163 patients who received medical examinations and attended for dental checkups at a hospital. The score of the ORI was recorded as excellent (+2), good (+1), questionable (0), poor (−1) or very poor (−2). The validity of the ORI was investigated by comparing it with: Jackson's gingivitis index (GI); Greene & Vermillion's debris index (DI) and calculus index (CI); probing pocket depth (PPD); and percentage of bleeding on probing (%BOP). The intra‐ and inter‐examiner reproducibility of the ORI was assessed on a flat screen using patients' color transparencies of the mouth. The ORI had significantly negative correlations with the GI, DI, CI, and PPD (p