Community Dental Health

cover art

Cover Date:
December 2006
Print ISSN:
0265 539X
Vol:
23
Issue:
4

The relationship between prevalence and incidence of dental caries. Some observational consequences.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between incidence and prevalence of caries. The principles are illustrated by means of Lexis diagrams, which show the relationship between cases of caries belonging to a population with a certain incidence and natural course of the disease in time. The analysis shows how studies on prevalence yield associations that reflect the determinants of the disease progression just as much as the causes of disease. Also the diagnostic criteria of the disease affect the prevalence estimate. The presence of fluoride changes the course of the disease and the prevalence estimate even with an unchanged incidence rate. This knowledge about incidence and prevalence should be taken into consideration when data from cross-sectional and time-series studies are interpreted. In an example from Norway the prevalence of caries was reduced. During the same period fluoride was made universally available, invasive treatment criteria were changed to less invasive and the time between the regular examinations were extended. These factors affect the estimates of caries made by cross-sectional recordings.

Key words: Cross-sectional estimates, fluoride, incidence, prevalence, treatment criteria

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
203
Page End
208
Authors
Dorthe Holst

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
  • Pg. End

  1. Editorial
  2. 194
  3. 196

  1. Caries prevalence in 12-year-old children from Germany. Results of the 2004 national survey
  2. 197
  3. 202

  1. The relationship between prevalence and incidence of dental caries. Some observational consequences.
  2. 203
  3. 208

  1. Characteristics attributed to individuals with dental fluorosis
  2. 209
  3. 216

  1. DIAGNOdent - an adjunctive diagnostic method for caries diagnosis in epidemiology
  2. 217
  3. 221

  1. Prevalence and factors associated with traumatic dental injuries (TDI) to anterior teeth of 11-13 year old Thai children
  2. 222
  3. 227

  1. Performance indicators used to assess the quality of primary dental care
  2. 228
  3. 235

  1. A survey of school dental screening practise in community dental services of England and Wales in 2003
  2. 236
  3. 238

  1. The prevalence and pattern of hypodontia of the permanent teeth and crown size and shape deformity affecting upper lateral incisors in a sample of Jordanian dental patients.
  2. 239
  3. 243

  1. Relationship between dental caries experience (DMFS) and dental fluorosis in 12-year-old Puerto Ricans.
  2. 244
  3. 250

  1. Prevalence of dental caries in obese and normal-weight Brazilian adolescents attending state and private schools.
  2. 251
  3. 253

  1. Abstracts
  2. 254
  3. 254