Calibration of non-dental and dental personnel in the use of the PAR Index.

Training and calibration in use of the PAR Index was given to a number of clerical staff and dental advisers at the Dental Practice Board of England and Wales. The results show that it is possible to teach nondentally trained personnel to apply this index to a high degree of reliability and they could, therefore, be trained to measure occlusal changes produced by orthodontic treatment, both for third party payment agencies, and for internal or regional audit programmes. Application of indices by non-dental staff would not only be more economical on clinical time, but should augment the objectivity and impartiality of the index.