A randomized trial of the effectiveness of home visits in preventing early childhood caries by Blackwell Munksgaard

The paper to be appraised is:

Feldens CA, Vitolo MR, Drachler ML. A randomised trial of the effectiveness of home visits in preventing early childhood caries. Community Dentistry Oral Epidemiology 2007; 35: 215-223.

The questions to be addressed are as follows:

1. Does the trial address a clearly focussed question?

2. Describe how were participants recruited to the study

3. Were participants appropriately allocated to the intervention and control group?

4. Did the study have enough participants to minimise the play of chance?

5. Were participants, clinicians and study personnel masked (blind) to participants study group?

6. Were the groups similar at the start of the trial?

7. Were all of the participants who entered the trial accounted for in the results/conclusions?

8. What is the primary outcome measure?

9. Is the primary outcome measure robust? Discuss briefly

10. What was the intervention (treatment) effect?

11. What are the sources of bias that could have been introduced into this trial?

12. To which population can the results of this study be applied?

13. Based on the information provided here, what are your overall conclusions about the quality of thisstudy?

14. What ethical considerations have not been discussed?

15. Would you recommend any changes to local policy?