Dental Epidemiology: Methods, Uses, and Applications
Epidemiology
Two objectives of epidemiology in dentistry are:
- Collection of data to uncover biological processes. Teeth form the biological process of disease.
- To establish relationships between events and variables.
What is a Hypothesis and How is it Tested?
A hypothesis is a ratio that establishes relationships between events and variables and requires a verification method.
The Difference Between Research in Physical and Biological Sciences
The physical sciences study the physical phenomena of matter, and the biological sciences study living beings in constant physical and biological change.
Example of Biological Variation
The difference between individuals (age, sex, structure, etc.).
What is the Difference Between Clinical and Epidemiological Methods?
The clinical method is the study of the characteristics of an individual, and the epidemiological study is of a population.
Definition of Oral Epidemiology
Oral epidemiology deals with the study of oral diseases, their frequency, and distribution. It provides great improvement in the treatments applied by dentists to individual patients, allowing them to define the individual risk of a specified disease.
Uses of Oral Epidemiology
- Study of the cause of a disease.
- Measurement of the effect of certain therapeutic measures.
- Evaluation of the effect of new drugs or the impact of new procedures.
- Completion of the clinical picture, natural and social history of the disease.
- Evaluation of health services.
- Training for critical reading of medical literature.
Relationship Between Epidemiology and Risk Factors
Epidemiology allows us to know the risks of getting a disease through the study of its natural history.
Relationship of the Epidemiological Method in Clinical Trials
Clinical trials show the benefits (or lack thereof) from which we derive an average for the group under study. Therefore, some knowledge of basic epidemiological and clinical methods helps dentists determine the quality of a therapeutic procedure.
Relationship Between Epidemiology, Clinical Diagnosis, and Treatment
In epidemiology, a community diagnosis is conducted based on clinical diagnoses. Regarding epidemiology and treatment, epidemiology primarily conducts health assessments and promotes a healing environment, while clinical treatment provides drugs to help restore health.
Steps in the Scientific, Clinical, and Epidemiological Methods
| Scientific Method | Clinical Method | Epidemiological Method |
|---|---|---|
| The individual study subject | Community study subject | |
| 1. Select a research theory | Health assessment of the individual | Evaluation of the concept of health |
| 2. Define the problem | Health condition | Health condition |
| 3. Select the theoretical framework | Clinical history | Data collection |
| 4. Formulate a hypothesis | Diagnosis | Health diagnosis |
| 5. Design research | Prognosis | Development of indicators |
| 6. Record and interpret data | Treatment | Health control, environmental sanitation |
| 7. Report research | Assessment of the problem | Health control |
Subject of Study in the Clinical and Scientific Methods
- Clinical: Individual
- Epidemiological: Community
Definition of Epidemic
A seasonal disease that afflicts a town or region, simultaneously affecting a large number of people.
Four Criteria to Consider a Disease an Epidemic
- Appearance in a limited period of a large number of cases of a disease in a community.
- Simultaneously affects a large number of people.
- Diseases of common nature.
- Derived from a common source.
Definition of Epidemiology
The science that studies the distribution of disease and determinants of the health-disease relationship in human populations, and the implementation and evaluation of knowledge of the natural history of disease at the level of health services and the general population.