Prevalence of dental caries in intercountry adopted children

Oliván-Gonzalvo, Gonzalo ; de la Parte Serna, Alejandro Carlos (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Background: Dental caries is one of the most prevalent pathologies worldwide. All children from international adoption have a history of exposure to potential risk factors for dental health and the development of dental caries, both before and during institutionalization before adoption. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of dental caries in primary teeth in a cohort of intercountry adopted children upon arrival in the Autonomous Community of Aragon, Spain. Material & Methods: Epidemiological, descriptive, observational, and cross-sectional study from January 2000 to December 2018. A total of 264 children, aged between 1 and 6 years, were examined by a pediatrician and dentist in the first 15 days after arrival. For oral evaluation, the WHO standardized protocols and forms and the FDI notation were used. Results: The mean age at the time of the examination was 32 months. The prevalence of active dental caries in all intercountry adopted children was found to be 9.1% and dft index was 0.18 (95% CI: 0.11-0.25). The majorities were from Eastern European countries, mainly Russia. Dental caries was not detected in children from China, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia. No child had fissure sealant. No child had filled or missing tooth, due to caries. Of the 24 children with active dental caries, all had carious crown and only two had carious root. Conclusion: Intercountry adopted children in Aragon do not present a high prevalence of active dental caries in the examination upon arrival. Anyway, it is necessary to reinforce pediatricians and dentists to promote dental health to prevent tooth decay once they have adapted and integrated into the host community.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.47310/iarjimph.2021.v02i05.011

Año: 2021

Publicado en: International academic research journal of internal medicine & public health 2, 5 (2021), 61-64
ISSN: 2709-3301

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Estomatología (Dpto. Cirugía)