A methodology for evaluating tooth wear monitoring using timed automata modelling

Abstract

Objectives Tooth wear is a multifactorial condition leading to the loss of dental hard tissues. A counselling/monitoring protocol is of importance in order to keep that loss as limited as possible. Since many factors are involved and a time span of decades is included, research to disentangle all these processes in patients is difficult. Instead, a modelling technique was used that is able to deal with time, costs and probabilistic and stochastic information. The aim was to shed light on the question: does a yearly or a once‐in‐five‐years counselling/monitoring protocol yield better outcome measures? Methods A so‐called timed automata model was adopted, analysed with the tool UPPAAL. To our knowledge, this is the first time that formal modelling is applied in dentistry. In this article, a UPPAAL model for the evaluation of tooth wear is described. Results Using the UPPAAL model, it was calculated that with a yearly counselling/monitoring protocol the severity of tooth wear at age 74, the total costs per person and the number of restorative treatments were less, and the number of so‐called “good years” was higher. Conclusions With the use of the UPPAAL model, it may be concluded that a yearly counselling/monitoring protocol can yield better outcome measures. Clinical Significance Regarding dentistry in general and tooth wear in particular, with the use of a timed automata model in UPPAAL, actual research questions can be answered, factors of influence in a multifactorial condition like tooth wear can be clarified, and future research topics can be determined.

Diagnosing tooth wear, a new taxonomy based on the revised version of the Tooth Wear Evaluation System (TWES 2.0)

“…By doing this, the start of a restorative treatment can be postponed or even avoided. Recent research has revealed that yearly counselling/ monitoring is favourable towards counselling/ monitoring every five years 25 . It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss this in detail.…”

Цифрова Діагностика При Лікуванні Щелепно-Лицьової Патології

“…Це наштовхнуло на думку про необхідність дослідити стан оклюзійних співвідношень у період адаптації пацієнтів до відновлювальних зубних конструкцій. Результати досліджень свідчать, що оскільки передчасні контакти у більшості випадків не зникають, необхідна додаткова курація пацієнтів в період адаптації (1-6 місяць) до незнімних протезів з метою стабілізації оклюзійних співвідношень [2,7]. Загально встановлено, що середня кількість оклюзійних контактів знаходиться у безпосередній залежності від безперервності зубних рядів та терміну виготовлення ортопедичних конструкцій [8].…”