67 - Speech Intelligibility in the Pediatric Dental Setting

Purpose: Noise is a frequent barrier to communication in a dental office. Articulation index (AI) is a sound metric that measures speech intelligibility of a space and ranges from 0, where no speech is understood, to 1, where all speech understood. An AI of >0.7 is excellent, 0.5-0.7 is good, 0.3-0.5 is acceptable for some scenarios, and below 0.3 is unacceptable. The primary aim of this study is to compare the articulation index associated with different pediatric dental procedures and locations to understand how noise impacts speech intelligibility in a pediatric dental setting.

Methods: A sound level meter (SLM) model 831C collected sound data from 4 locations: 1) five chair open bay (OB), 2) quiet room (QR), 3) moderate sedation suite (OS), and 4) outpatient surgical operating suite (OR) over 19 clinical days. CDT codes, patient age, FRANKL score, type of isolation, use of protective stabilization, and post-graduate year of treating provider were obtained for each patient via a retrospective chart review. Categorical variables were summarized as frequencies and percentages and compared across treatment locations using either Chi-Squared Tests or Fisher's Exact Tests. Continuous variables were summarized as medians and quartiles and compared across treatment locations using Kruskal-Wallis Test.

Results: The AI ranged from 0.31-1.0 with median values per location of 0.69 (OB), 0.65 (QR), 0.63 (OS), 0.66 (OR) and was not significantly different between locations or procedures (p>0.05). The AI ranged from excellent to barely acceptable in some scenarios. There was a significant difference between location regarding isolation method ( <.0001), use of protective stabilization (p <.001), PGY year (p <.001), patient age (p=0.046), and Frankl Score (p=0.020).

Conclusion: While not statistically significant, the results suggest that noise impacts speech intelligibility regardless of treatment location or procedure performed.
Research supported by the Indiana University School of Dentistry Graduate Student Research Committee.