Annotated bibliography
Tickle, M., O’Neill, C., Donaldson, M., Birch, S., Noble, S., & Killough, S. et al. (2016). A randomized controlled trial to measure the effects and costs of a dental caries prevention regime for young children attending primary care dental services: the Northern Ireland Caries Prevention In Practice (NIC- PIP) trial. Health Technology Assessment, 20(71), 1-96.
The authors of this article have the necessary experience and knowledge in business and economics, dentistry as well as health and social care, from various universities in United Kingdom.
Purpose of the study
Primarily, this study was carried out to measure the impacts and costs associated of composite fluoride intervention implemented for the purpose of preventing to dental caries in young children.
Study design
The study makes use of a two-arm, parallel-group as well as randomized controlled trial design based on allocation ratio of 1: 1. The randomization was achieved through the use of clinical trials unit based on randomized permuted blocks.
Methods
Young children (1248) between the ages of 2 to 3 years, who at baseline were free of dental caries, were used for this study. A composite intervention was used that comprised of a varnish with 22,600 parts per million of fluoride. Additionally, the intervention included 1450 parts per million of fluoride and a toothbrush. The participants were given 6-72 months standardized and evidence-based prevention advice.
Results
Thirty-four percent (34%) of participants in the intervention converted to caries active in comparison to 39% in the control group. The number of tooth surfaces affected by affected by caries was low for the case of the intervention group, though the cases of pain showed no significant difference in the two groups. The cost of dental care in the case of the intervention group was significantly high (£155.74) compared to the case of the control group (£48.21).
Significance
The article provides insights into the approaches to reduce dental caries and the involved cost.
Limitation
The study is limited to generalizability as well as the understanding of the underlying rationale for the results of the study.
Javed, F., Feng, C., & Kopycka-Kedzierawski, D. (2016). Incidence of early childhood caries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Investigative and Clinical Dentistry.
Evaluation
The authors of this article have the necessary experience and knowledge in dentistry and hence, qualified to tackle the subject of childhood caries.
Purpose of the study
The primary aim of this study was to carry out a systematic review of the incidences of early childhood caries.
Study design
The study used literature review as the major study design to provide an overview of the reported incidences of early childhood caries. As such, the various search terms were used on indexed databases.
Description of methods
The review focused on five studies that would be used to extract the required data on childhood caries. Out of the five prospective studies, two were randomized clinical trials. The study participants used in all these studies ranged between 96 to1275 young children.
Results
A mean aged of 1.8-2.5 years was reported in two studies. Three studies reported a follow-up duration of 24 months, while the follow-up duration for the rest of the studies was from 3 to 5 years for each study. A significantly high incidence level of childhood was reported in children having baseline caries than the caries-free children.
Significance
The article provides background for the investigation of incidence of early childhood caries and causal factors. For example, the article indicates a high incidence of ECC among young children who have past cases of dental caries.
Limitations
The study is limited to challenges associated with clinical trials and systematic review studies such as generalizability of results.
Fan, C., Wang, W., Xu, T., & Zheng, S. (2016). Risk factors of early childhood caries among children in Beijing: a case-control study. BMC Oral Health, 16(1).
This article is written by Fan, Wang, Xu and Zheng from the department of Preventive Dentistry at the Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology. As such, it is considered to be of high quality and relevance as far as coverage of the subject of dental caries is concerned.
Purpose of the study
The study was focused on the identification of the risk factors that are associated with dental caries in young children in Beijing.
Study design
The study used convenience sampling to gain a considerable number of children with dental caries and those without for the purpose of effective comparison of the causal risk factors of dental caries.
Methods
The study recruited 787 children of 3 and 4 years of age; 386 had caries while the rest (401) did not. WHO 1997 criteria formed the diagnosis of both groups’ tooth surface. The guardians of the children filled a structured questionnaire. In addition, a Dentocult SM Strip was used to measure Mutans streptococci in plaque as well as saliva that were not stimulated. A multivariate analysis was carried out.
Results
The study established a significant correlation between dental visit history and mutans streptococci level especially in dental plaque as well as caries’ prevalence. One of the risk factors of early childhood caries is plaque mutans streptococci especially at high levels.
Significance
The article provides important information on causal factors of early childhood caries.
Limitation
The does not identify the causal correlation between the development of caries and dental plaque’s levels of mutans streptococci.
References
Fan, C., Wang, W., Xu, T., & Zheng, S. (2016). Risk factors of early childhood caries among children in Beijing: a case-control study. BMC Oral Health, 16(1).
Javed, F., Feng, C., & Kopycka-Kedzierawski, D. (2016). Incidence of early childhood caries: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal Of Investigative And Clinical Dentistry.
Tickle, M., O’Neill, C., Donaldson, M., Birch, S., Noble, S., & Killough, S. et al. (2016). A randomized controlled trial to measure the effects and costs of a dental caries prevention regime for young children attending primary care dental services: the Northern Ireland Caries Prevention In Practice (NIC-PIP) trial. Health Technology Assessment, 20(71), 1-96.