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. 2021 Nov 24;18(23):12360.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph182312360.

Systematic Review of the Literature on Dental Caries and Periodontal Disease in Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Individuals

Stefano Cianetti  1 , Chiara Valenti  1 , Massimiliano Orso  2 , Giuseppe Lomurno  3 , Michele Nardone  4 , Anna Palma Lomurno  1 , Stefano Pagano  1 , Guido Lombardo  1
Affiliations

Systematic Review of the Literature on Dental Caries and Periodontal Disease in Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Individuals

Stefano Cianetti et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Dental caries and periodontal disease represent a health problem and a social cost for the entire population, and in particular for socio-economically disadvantaged individuals who are less resistant to disease. The aim of this review is to estimate the prevalence and severity of the two dental pathologies, caries and periodontal disease, in the different classes of socio-economically disadvantaged subjects and to understand which of them are most affected. A systematic search of the literature was performed in MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE and Web of Science after establishing a suitable search strategy for each database, using keywords related to socio-economically vulnerable classes and health outcomes. Socio-economically disadvantaged individuals are more susceptible to tooth decay and periodontal disease (with relative tooth loss) than non-vulnerable people. Additionally, when multiple vulnerabilities are combined in the same subject, these oral diseases worsen. There is no type of vulnerability more affected by caries and periodontitis than others, since overall they all have severe disease indices. The data from this systematic literature review might be useful for health policy makers looking to allocate more resources and services to socially disadvantaged individuals, resulting in making them more resilient to oral disease due to their social marginalization.

Keywords: dental caries; periodontitis; socio-economic vulnerability.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA flow diagram for systematic review.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Caries prevalence (total population) AND elderly.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Gingivitis and pregnant women.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Periodontitis in the elderly.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Irregular dental service attendance and immigrants.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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