4. Confidence intervals (CI) and predictive intervals (PI) for the D(M)FT NMA estimates in children and adolescents (immature permanent dentition).
| Fluoride concentration comparison (ppm F) |
NMA SMD (95% CI) NMA SMD (95% PI) |
Direct SMD (95% CI) Indirect SMD (95% CI) Direct contribution |
| 250 versus 0 | ‐0.11 (‐0.27 to 0.05) ‐0.11 (‐0.40 to 0.19) |
‐0.16 (‐0.44 to 0.12) ‐0.08 (‐0.28 to 0.11) 32.7% |
| 440 to 550 versus 0 | ‐0.18 (‐0.41 to 0.04) ‐0.18 (‐0.52 to 0.15) |
‐0.21 (‐0.48 to 0.05) ‐0.11 (‐0.55 to 0.34) 73.9% |
| 1000 to 1250 versus 0 | ‐0.26 (‐0.31 to ‐0.21) ‐0.26 (‐0.51 to ‐0.01) |
‐0.26 (‐0.30 to ‐0.21) ‐0.36 (‐0.55 to ‐0.17) 93.8% |
| 1450 to 1500 versus 0 | ‐0.39 (‐0.49 to ‐0.28) ‐0.39 (‐0.66 to ‐0.12) |
‐0.37 (‐0.50 to ‐0.23) ‐0.43 (‐0.60 to ‐0.26) 60.4% |
| 1700 to 2200 versus 0* | ‐0.33 (‐0.56 to ‐0.11) ‐0.33 (‐0.67 to 0.01) |
‐ ‐0.33 (‐0.56 to ‐0.11) ‐ |
| 2400 to 2800 versus 0 | ‐0.39 (‐0.52 to ‐0.25) ‐0.39 (‐0.67 to ‐0.11) |
‐0.59 (‐0.85 to ‐0.33) ‐0.32 (‐0.47 to ‐0.16) 26.7% |
| 440 to 550 versus 250 | ‐0.08 (‐0.32 to 0.17) ‐0.08 (‐0.43 to 0.27) |
0.01 (‐0.28 to 0.29) ‐0.35 (‐0.85 to 0.16) 76.0% |
| 1000 to 1250 versus 250 | ‐0.15 (‐0.31 to 0.00) ‐0.15 (‐0.45 to 0.14) |
‐0.16 (‐0.33 to 0.00) ‐0.06 (‐0.54 to 0.43) 89.5% |
| 1450 to 1500 versus 250* | ‐0.28 (‐0.47 to ‐0.09) ‐0.28 (‐0.59 to 0.03) |
‐ ‐0.28 (‐0.47 to ‐0.09) ‐ |
| 1700 to 2200 versus 250* | ‐0.23 (‐0.50 to 0.05) ‐0.23 (‐0.60 to 0.15) |
‐ ‐0.23 (‐0.50 to 0.05) ‐ |
| 2400 to 2800 versus 250* | ‐0.28 (‐0.48 to ‐0.08) ‐0.28 (‐0.60 to 0.04) |
‐ ‐0.28 (‐0.48 to ‐0.08) ‐ |
| 1000 to 1250 versus 440 to 550 | ‐0.08 (‐0.30 to 0.15) ‐0.08 (‐0.41 to 0.26) |
‐0.09 (‐0.37 to 0.19) ‐0.05 (‐0.43 to 0.32) 64.0% |
| 1450 to 1500 versus 440 to 550* | ‐0.20 (‐0.45 to 0.04) ‐0.20 (‐0.56 to 0.15) |
‐ ‐0.20 (‐0.45 to 0.04) ‐ |
| 1700 to 2200 versus 440 to 550* | ‐0.15 (‐0.46 to 0.16) ‐0.15 (‐0.56 to 0.26) |
‐ ‐0.15 (‐0.46 to 0.16) ‐ |
| 2400 to 2800 versus 440 to 550* | ‐0.20 (‐0.46 to 0.05) ‐0.20 (‐0.56 to 0.16) |
‐ ‐0.20 (‐0.46 to 0.06) ‐ |
| 1450 to 1500 versus 1000 to 1250 | ‐0.13 (‐0.23 to ‐0.02) ‐0.13 (‐0.40 to 0.14) |
‐0.17 (‐0.31 to ‐0.04) ‐0.05 (‐0.23 to 0.12) 62.5% |
| 1700 to 2200 versus 1000 to 1250 | ‐0.07 (‐0.30 to 0.15) ‐0.07 (‐0.41 to 0.26) |
‐0.06 (‐0.32 to 0.19) ‐0.13 (‐0.66 to 0.39) 80.9% |
| 2400 to 2800 versus 1000 to 1250 | ‐0.12 (‐0.25 to 0.01) ‐0.12 (‐0.4 to 0.16) |
‐0.06 (‐0.21 to 0.09) ‐0.33 (‐0.59 to ‐0.09) 75.7% |
| 1700 to 2200 versus 1450 to 1500* | 0.05 (‐0.19 to 0.30) 0.05 (‐0.30 to 0.41) |
‐ 0.05 (‐0.19 to 0.30) ‐ |
| 2400 to 2800 versus 1450 to 1500* | 0.00 (‐0.16 to 0.17) 0.00 (‐0.29 to 0.30) |
‐ 0.00 (‐0.16 to 0.17) ‐ |
| 2400 to 2800 versus 1700 to 2200 | ‐0.05 (‐0.27 to 0.17) ‐0.05 (‐0.39 to 0.29) |
‐0.04 (‐0.29 to 0.22) ‐0.11 (‐0.63 to 0.41) 80.8% |
*Indirect evidence only. The caries preventive effects of these different fluoride comparisons were not directly evaluated in any study. CI = confidence interval; D(M)FT = decayed, missing, filled permanent teeth; F = fluoride; NMA = network meta‐analysis; PI = predictive interval; ppm = parts per million; SMD = standardised mean difference.