Question · asked by 1 review
Higher per-capita expenditure on dental health care vs Lower per-capita expenditure on dental health care (USD bands: $0-50 / $51-100 / >$100): Caries experience (mean DMFT)
- Population
- 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022)
- Intervention
- Higher per-capita expenditure on dental health care
- Comparison
- Lower per-capita expenditure on dental health care (USD bands: $0-50 / $51-100 / >$100)
- Outcome
- Caries experience (mean DMFT)
Countries with higher per-capita dental expenditure had lower mean DMFT (>$100: 0.96; $51-100: 2.14; $0-50: 3.06) (Figure 4); not GRADE-rated.
What each review found
Current versions onlyNo studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 3 · 100%Very low 0 · 0%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%
| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Higher per-capita expenditure on dental health care vs Lower per-capita expenditure on dental health care (USD bands: $0-50 / $51-100 / >$100) Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022) · Cross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022), European countries stratified by OECD per-capita dental health-care expenditure (USD); test of group differences Q_b(2)=30.51, p<0.01; expenditure-stratified overall pooled DMFT 2.10 (95% CI 1.61-2.59), 32 countries, $0-50 per capita Countries with higher per-capita dental expenditure had lower mean DMFT (>$100: 0.96; $51-100: 2.14; $0-50: 3.06) (Figure 4); not GRADE-rated. Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European… (2025) All outcomes | MEAN 3.06 [2.32, 3.79] | 14 studies | GRADE not reported |
Higher per-capita expenditure on dental health care vs Lower per-capita expenditure on dental health care (USD bands: $0-50 / $51-100 / >$100) Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022) · Cross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022), European countries stratified by OECD per-capita dental health-care expenditure (USD); test of group differences Q_b(2)=30.51, p<0.01; expenditure-stratified overall pooled DMFT 2.10 (95% CI 1.61-2.59), 32 countries, >$100 per capita Countries with higher per-capita dental expenditure had lower mean DMFT (>$100: 0.96; $51-100: 2.14; $0-50: 3.06) (Figure 4); not GRADE-rated. Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European… (2025) All outcomes | MEAN 0.96 [0.64, 1.28] | 12 studies | GRADE not reported |
Higher per-capita expenditure on dental health care vs Lower per-capita expenditure on dental health care (USD bands: $0-50 / $51-100 / >$100) Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022) · Cross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022), European countries stratified by OECD per-capita dental health-care expenditure (USD); test of group differences Q_b(2)=30.51, p<0.01; expenditure-stratified overall pooled DMFT 2.10 (95% CI 1.61-2.59), 32 countries, $51-100 per capita Countries with higher per-capita dental expenditure had lower mean DMFT (>$100: 0.96; $51-100: 2.14; $0-50: 3.06) (Figure 4); not GRADE-rated. Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European… (2025) All outcomes | MEAN 2.14 [1.40, 2.89] | 6 studies | GRADE not reported |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European countries: A systematic review… 2025 All outcomes | June 2023 | 53 | Not applicable |
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.