Guidelines for Reporting Oral Epidemiologic Studies to inform Burden Estimation (GROESBE)

Researchers from the Institute of Dentistry have secured grant funding to develop Guidelines for Reporting Oral Epidemiologic Studies to inform Burden Estimation (GROESBE), which aim to improve and standardise the reporting of descriptive oral epidemiological studies of common oral conditions.

Prof Eduardo Bernabe Professor of Dental Public Health, in collaboration with Dr Candy Salomon-Ibarra, Professor Wagner Marcenes, GBD Oral Disorders Collaborators Network.

The accurate estimation and description of common oral conditions constitutes an essential responsibility of the oral health community. High quality prevalence and incidence studies of oral conditions are essential for estimation of disease burden, comparison between countries and over time, priority setting, resource allocation and health planning.

Existing systematic reviews of the epidemiology of untreated dental caries, severe periodontitis and edentulism, carried out for the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study, showed inadequate and incomplete reporting of the measurement of oral conditions as well as a lack of consistency and comparability with other health conditions. These issues are more accentuated in studies from low-and-middle income countries. Studies must meet the highest standards, so these efforts do not waste resources.

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