Summary of quantitative synthesis to estimate overall mean effect of CWF cessation on DMFT, deft, DMFS, defs, based on estimates pooled across time points within age groups within each study
| Outcome/study type | Total number of studies and comparisons | Eligible number of studies and comparisons | Results/Comments Mean (SD) Number of participants (n) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DMFT-no-comparison community | Studies: n=6 Comparisons: n=52 | Studies: n=3 (Cuba;27 Czechoslovakia;28 29 East Germany25 26) Comparisons: n=18 | Significant decrease in DMFT postcessation:−1.02 (−1.42, −0.62), n=9503 |
| DMFT-comparison community* | Studies: n=3 Comparisons: n=38 | Studies: n=3 (Stranraer, Scotland;31–34 Netherlands;38 39 East Germany25 26) Comparisons: n=27 | Significant increase in DMFT postcessation: 0.54 (0.24, 0.84), n=111 436 |
| deft-no-comparison community | Studies: n=5 Comparisons: n=15 | Studies: n=2 (Wick, Scotland;37 China35 36) Comparisons: n=10 | Significant increase in deft postcessation: 0.49 (0.11, 0.87), n=3947 |
| deft-comparison community* | Studies: n=2 Comparisons: n=5 | Studies: n=1 (Stranraer, Scotland31–34) Comparisons: n=2 | Overall effect not estimated (only 1 study) |
| DMFS-no-comparison community | Studies: n=1 Comparisons: n=4 | Studies: n=1 (Cuba27) Comparisons: n=4 | Overall effect not estimated (only 1 study) |
| DMFS-comparison community* | Studies: n=3 Comparisons: n=19 | Studies: n=3 (Finland;16 18 Canada;19 20 Netherlands38) Comparisons: n=13 | Overall effect estimated but not interpreted because studies include both positive and negative controls† |
| defs-no-comparison community | Studies: n=1 Comparisons: n=2 | Studies: n=1 (Wick, Scotland37) Comparisons: n=2 | Overall effect not estimated (only 1 study) |
| defs-comparison community* | Studies: n=1 Comparisons: n=6 | Studies: n=1 (Finland17 18) Comparisons: n=3 | Overall effect not estimated (only 1 study) |
| Total | Comparisons: n=141 | Comparisons: n=83 |
Comparison=any pair of precessation—postcessation data (any time frame, any age group); total=141.
Studies=intervention (instance of CWF cessation); total n=12.
Eligible studies/comparisons=contained non-missing (or non-imputable) data on mean, SD, and sample size (n).
DMFT, deft=decayed, missing, filled teeth (permanent, primary).
DMFS, defs=decayed, missing/extracted, filled tooth surfaces (permanent, primary).
Results are from random effects model.
*SD for change score was imputed, following Cochrane collaboration procedure10.
†Positive control: comparison community has CWF in place; negative control: comparison community does not have CWF in place.