The specific aims of this project are to: 1) capture an important source of dental claims data 2) use these data to advance the analytic methods for using patient-based dental claims for outcomes research; and 3) test hypotheses concerning the effect of specific clinical procedures on subsequent oral health and future use of dental care. At a minimum, as part of this project, the data and methods developed in the first phases will be used evaluate the effectiveness of professionally-applied topical fluoride in reducing the future need for restorative care in children. The data and methods that are developed will also be used in the future to test a series of additional hypotheses concerning the effects of dental care on oral health outcomes. The primary form of analysis for hypothesis testing will be logistic regression. This approach will allow determination of how the predictor variables affect the probability of the outcomes that are under investigation. Analysis will also make use of several forms of events history (survival) analysis, to allow for more appropriate incorporation of the inherent longitudinal and sequential nature of the claims history data. The long-term goal is to develop the infrastructure and methods for using patient-based dental claims as a research tool to address basic questions about outcomes following the use of dental procedures.
| Heller, K E; Burt, B A; Eklund, S A (2001) Sugared soda consumption and dental caries in the United States. J Dent Res 80:1949-53 |
