Dental Caries Prevalence and Experience (ICDAS II Criteria) of 5-, 12- and 15-Year-Old Children and Adolescents with an Immigrant Background in Greece, Compared with the Host Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Evidence regarding disparities in oral health among native and immigrant child and adolescent populations in Europe is scarce. The present study aimed to determine the caries status of 5-, 12-, and 15-year-olds with an immigrant background in Greece in relation to their sociodemographic characteristics and compare their caries levels with those of their native Greek peers. A sample of 707 immigrants underwent clinical examination for caries (ICDAS II criteria), followed by a calculation of caries prevalence and experience estimates (2013–2014). Multivariable regression models assessed the effect of ethnic background on the caries experience (d3–6mfs/D3–6MFS) of the total (707 immigrants and 3702 Greeks) population, and the association between parental education level and the immigrants’ d3–6mfs/D3–6MFS. Among the 5- and 12-year-olds, those with an immigrant background demonstrated higher caries rates and had unfulfilled treatment needs at higher proportions. Among 15-year-old adolescents, no considerable differences in caries status were observed according to ethnic background (native Greek or immigrant). The strength of the association between immigrant background and caries experience levels attenuated gradually with increasing age (IRR = 1.61, 1.27 and 1.10, and p = 0.001, p = 0.006 and p = 0.331 for 5-, 12- and 15-year-olds, respectively). Among the immigrants, adolescents with less educated mothers exhibited elevated caries levels. Public health strategies should prioritize immigrant children and early adolescents in order to reduce the existing ethnic disparities in oral health.

Caries prevalence of the first permanent molar and associated factors among second-grade students in Xiangyun of Yunnan, China: A cross-sectional study

“…Since the caries level of the 12-year-old age group is recommended by the WHO to assess the dental caries status of school-age children (17), many countries and regions have focused on the caries level of children aged 12 (18)(19)(20)(21). However, the FPM, which many parents often ignore, can decay in the first 2-3 years after the eruption.…”

Impact of the COVID‐19 lockdown on the oral health status of paediatric dental patients in Greece

“…Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances were excluded. The sample size was calculated using G*power, assuming that 50% of the patients (to yield the largest sample size) fell within the range of the average dental health status (of the paediatric population in Greece) 18 . At a power of 80%, the effect size at 0.5 and α = 0.05, the sample needed was estimated at 94 children.…”

What Do Mothers (or Caregivers) Know about Their Children’s Oral Hygiene? An Update of the Current Evidence

“…Preventive protocol and procedure and ECC are among the topics of greatest interest in pediatric dentistry research [ 14 ]. From a first survey of the current literature, it was clear that the studies that investigated the knowledge of oral hygiene in pediatric dentistry were very heterogeneous, as they adopt very different protocols and samples.…”