Peer Assessment Rating
Also written as: PAR — Peer Assessment Rating
A validated index used to quantify the degree of malocclusion and the outcome of orthodontic treatment by scoring occlusal features before and after treatment.
Full Definition
The Peer Assessment Rating (PAR) index assigns numerical scores to various components of the occlusion—including tooth alignment, buccal occlusion, overjet, overbite, and centreline—to produce a total score reflecting overall malocclusion severity. A reduction in PAR score following treatment indicates improvement, and a threshold percentage reduction is used to categorise outcomes as 'greatly improved', 'improved', or 'worse or no different'. It is widely used in research and audit contexts to compare treatment efficacy. Editors handling outcomes research should ensure the PAR score and percentage reduction are reported consistently and that the weighted versus unweighted versions are distinguished.
Usage
Usage note: Specify weighted vs. unweighted PAR on first use. Report both pre- and post-treatment scores alongside percentage reduction for a complete outcome statement.
In Context
- "The mean PAR score reduction of 74% indicated that the majority of cases were greatly improved." — Orthodontic audit report
- "The manuscript should specify whether the weighted or unweighted PAR index was used." — Peer-review editorial note