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Questions 9-13: In a recent study of dental erosion in 5-year-old children, 190

ID: 3042581 • Letter: Q

Question

Questions 9-13: In a recent study of dental erosion in 5-year-old children, 190 healthy school-attending children were selected for study. The investigators recorded the erosion level on their maxillary deciduous incisors and recorded whether or not their communities used fluoridated water. The results are summarized in the table below:

Evidence of Erosion

No Evidence of Erosion

Total

Non-fluoridated Area

77

37

114

Fluoridated Area

46

30

76

Total

123

67

190

11)     What is the incidence rate of erosion for the two groups of children?

12)     Calculate and interpret the attributable risk per 100 individuals.

13)     Calculate and interpret the relative risk.

14)     Calculate and interpret the odds ratio.

15)     Based on your data above, does fluoridation appear to increase the risk of dental erosion or provide a protective effect against dental erosion? Justify your response based on your results from question 11. (1 point)

Evidence of Erosion

No Evidence of Erosion

Total

Non-fluoridated Area

77

37

114

Fluoridated Area

46

30

76

Total

123

67

190

Explanation / Answer

Incidence rate of erosion in fluoridated area = (46/76)*100% = 60.52632%

Incidence rate of erosion in non-fluoridated area = (77/114)*100% = 67.54386%

[ Approximately 61 and 68 percent of the children at risk of erosion (under study) belonging to the two groups respectively, had cases of erosion diagnosed.]

Relative Risk =  (46/76) / (77/114) = 0.8961039

[ Risk of children having erosions in fluorodite areas in 0.897 times

+> decreased risk of erosion for those have been exposed.

Attributable Risk = ((123/190)*(0.896-1)/(1+(123/190)*(0.896-1)))*100 = -7.218636

Odds Ratio = (46/30)/(77/37) = 0.737 , implying that odds of having erosion when exposed to fuoride is less in comparison to no-fluoride exposure.

Hence, all the measures suggest fluorodisation appear to provide a protective effect against dental erosion.