title: Quantifying dental inequality--developing the methodology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a simple quantitative measure of dental health inequality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Define equality based on statistical theory and construct a formula to compare actual and theoretical disease distributions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A new index (DHII) is proposed, based on the ratio of the distribution of the actual disease to a (theoretical) Poisson distribution. An example using caries data is provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of DHII will allow quantitative measurement of dental health inequality.
authors.affiliation: Dental Health Services Research Unit, Dental School, University of Dundee, Scotland, UK.
authors.forename: Zoann Jane
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Longbottom
authors.forename: Nigel Berry
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Pitts
mesh_terms: D016010:Binomial Distribution; D004245:DMF Index; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000453:epidemiology; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015233:Models, Statistical; D016012:Poisson Distribution; D011636:Public Health Dentistry / Q000379:methods*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors