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A method of utilizing the subjects' initial caries experience to increase efficiency in caries clinical trials
Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology
|April 1, 1979
Summary
Clinical trials for dental caries often face initial imbalances in decayed, missing, or filled surfaces (DMFS) scores. Analyzing caries presence by location, rather than total DMFS, proved more effective for comparing treatment groups.
Area of Science:
- Dental Public Health
- Clinical Trials Methodology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Imbalances in baseline decayed, missing, or filled surfaces (DMFS) scores are common in caries clinical trials.
- This imbalance can complicate the accurate assessment of treatment effects on caries increment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficiency of four methods for incorporating baseline caries experience in clinical trials.
- To identify the most effective method for comparing caries increment scores between treatment groups.
Main Methods:
- Reviewed six recent clinical trials that employed different methods to account for initial caries experience.
- Compared the efficiency of these methods in analyzing caries increment.
- Utilized an adaptation of Grainger's caries severity index as a stratification factor in blocking analysis.
Main Results:
- An adaptation of Grainger's caries severity index, used in blocking analysis, was the most consistent and efficient method.
- This approach proved superior for comparing caries increment scores between treatment groups.
Conclusions:
- The location of decay within the dentition provides more predictive information about future caries than total DMFS counts.
- Stratification by caries severity index offers a more robust approach for analyzing caries increment in clinical trials.