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Incidence vs Prevalence — NDEB AFK MCQ

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EasyCommunity Dentistry & EpidemiologyIncidence vs PrevalenceNDEB AFK

Which measure of disease frequency describes the number of new cases of dental caries occurring in a defined population over a specified time period?

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Correct answer: BIncidence

Incidence measures the number of NEW cases of a disease arising in a defined population during a specified time period. Prevalence measures all existing cases (new and old) at a single point in time. For dental caries, the DMFT/dmft index measures cumulative caries experience (closer to prevalence), while increment studies measuring new DFS/dfs over time assess incidence.

Reference: Fejerskov & Kidd – Dental Caries: The Disease and Its Clinical Management, 3rd ed., 2015