Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38881267›Full record

SynthesisInternational journal of paediatric dentistry2025

Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ana Vukovic, Kian Alessandro Schmutz, Roberta Borg-Bartolo, Fabio Cocco, Ruxandra Sava Rosianu, Rainer Jorda, Anastasia Maclennon, Javier F Cortes-Martinicorenas, Christos Rahiotis, Melinda Madléna and 7 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in International journal of paediatric dentistry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 20 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
20citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

20 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  11. Association of Individual and Contextual Factors for Protection from Dental Caries.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Ana VukovicDepartment of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6880-6153
Kian Alessandro SchmutzDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Roberta Borg-BartoloDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Fabio CoccoDepartment of Surgery, Microsurgery and Medicine Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
Ruxandra Sava RosianuDepartment of Preventive, Community Dentistry and Oral Health, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy "Victor Babes", Timisoara, Romania.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0244-2609
Rainer JordaInstitute of German Dentists (IDZ), Cologne, Germany.
Anastasia MaclennonDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Javier F Cortes-MartinicorenasEx-Facultad de Odontología, Universidad de Barcelona, Pamplona, Spain.
Christos RahiotisDepartment of Operative Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4117-3501
Melinda MadlénaDepartment of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
Antonella ArghittuDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Marco DettoriDepartment of Pediatric and Preventive Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Paolo CastigliaDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Marcella Esteves-OliveiraDepartment of Conservative Dentistry, Periodontology and Endodontology, University Centre of Dentistry, Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial Surgery (UZMK), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
Maria Grazia CagettiDepartment of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2704-0585
Thomas G WolfDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Guglielmo CampusDepartment of Restorative, Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8573-485X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUnderstanding of socioeconomic context might enable more efficient evidence-based preventive strategies in oral health.

aimThe study assessed the caries-related socioeconomic macro-factors in 12-year-olds across European countries.

designThis systematic review involved epidemiological surveys on the caries status of 12-year-olds from 2011 to 2022. DMFT was analyzed in relation to gross national income (GNI), United Nations Statistical Division geographical categorization of European countries (M49), unemployment rate, Human Development Index (HDI), and per capita expenditure on dental health care. A meta-analysis was performed for countries reporting data on DMFT, stratified by GNI, and geographical location of European countries, using a random-effects model.

resultsThe study involved 493 360 children from 36 countries in the geographic region of Europe. The analysis confirmed a strong negative correlation between income and caries experience (p < .01). Children living in higher-income countries showed 90% lower odds of poor oral health than in middle-income countries. Children living in West Europe showed 90% lower odds of poor oral health than children living in East Europe.

conclusionThe strong effect of macro-level socioeconomic contexts on children's oral health suggests favoring upstream preventive oral health strategies in countries with economic growth difficulties, Eastern and Southern parts of Europe.

Indexed as

Dental CariesSocioeconomic FactorsChildDMF IndexEuropeHumansIncomeOral Healthcaries epidemiologychildrenEuropehealthcare systemssocioeconomic indicators

Identifiers

PMID38881267
PMCPMC11626496

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.