What do systematic reviews say?

Prenatal vitamin D deficiency (low maternal 25(OH)D during pregnancy) vs Adequate prenatal vitamin D (sufficient maternal 25(OH)D)

The review reported 44% dental caries prevalence among children of mothers with low prenatal vitamin D.

• Association between prenatal vitamin D deficiency with dental caries in infants and children: a systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  Maternal pregnancy to child age 2 to 8 years · Mostly developed countries (Europe and America) · Children of mothers with low prenatal vitamin D
  Proportion 0.44
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported
• Association between prenatal vitamin D deficiency with dental caries in infants and children: a systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  Maternal pregnancy to child age 2 to 8 years · Mostly developed countries (Europe and America) · Children of mothers with sufficient prenatal vitamin D
  Proportion 0.25
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence)

Among studies using systematic random sampling, the pooled prevalence of dental caries was 35% (ungraded; CI not reported).

• Prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among primary school children in Ethiopia: systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  Schools; Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Finote Selam, Harer, Debre Birhan, North Showa) · Sampling technique: systematic random sampling
  Prevalence 30 [15, 44]
  2 studies · 554 participants
  GRADE not reported
• Prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among primary school children in Ethiopia: systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  Schools; Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Finote Selam, Harer, Debre Birhan, North Showa) · Sampling technique: multi-stage random sampling
  Prevalence 21 [19, 23]
  1 study · 1736 participants
  GRADE not reported
• Prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among primary school children in Ethiopia: systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  Schools; Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Bahir Dar, Finote Selam, Harer, Debre Birhan, North Showa) · Sampling technique: simple random sampling
  Prevalence 42 [35, 49]
  4 studies · 1421 participants
  GRADE not reported

Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence)

Dental caries affects about 64% of children with IDD in India (pooled prevalence 0.64, 95% CI 0.45-0.79; high heterogeneity; ungraded).

• Oral health status of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in India: a systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  India (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana); schools/institutions and community · Overall
  Prevalence 64 [45, 79]
  7 studies · 1066 participants
  GRADE not reported

Dental caries assessment (WHO/clinical diagnostic criteria; caries = DMFT>0) vs None (descriptive prevalence meta-analysis)

In permanent dentition, the pooled prevalence of dental caries was 57.2% (95% CI 26.3 to 85.3); ungraded.

• Prevalence of dental caries in Pakistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Pakistan (school-, community-, and hospital/clinic-based cross-sectional surveys) · Dentition: permanent
  Prevalence 57.184 [26.288, 85.251]
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported
• Prevalence of dental caries in Pakistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Pakistan (school-, community-, and hospital/clinic-based cross-sectional surveys) · Dentition: mixed
  Prevalence 61.183 [43.796, 73.274]
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported
• Prevalence of dental caries in Pakistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Pakistan (school-, community-, and hospital/clinic-based cross-sectional surveys) · City: Islamabad and Rawalpindi (combined)
  Prevalence 57.377 [32.642, 80.287]
  4 studies
  GRADE not reported

Dental caries assessment (WHO/clinical diagnostic criteria; caries = DMFT>0) vs None (descriptive prevalence review; subgroup analyses by urban/rural status, country and year)

Dental caries is highly prevalent among children and adolescents in the UAE, ranging from 22% to 99.4% across cross-sectional studies (narrative synthesis; not GRADE-rated).

• Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade. 2021 All outcomes

  UAE (Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah); nurseries, preschools, schools and dental clinics
  Dental caries prevalence ranged from 22% in public day cares in Sharjah to 99.4% in children attending a pediatric dentistry department in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi across cross-sectional studies; most studies used WHO…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Observed population vs Not applicable

Dental caries prevalence was 99.4%.

• Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade. 2021 All outcomes

  Overall
  Prevalence 99.4
  1 study · 176 participants
  GRADE not reported

Private day care vs Public day care

Caries prevalence was 77% in private day cares versus 22% in public day cares.

• Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade. 2021 All outcomes

  Private day cares
  Prevalence 77
  1 study · 435 participants
  GRADE not reported
• Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade. 2021 All outcomes

  Public day cares
  Prevalence 22
  1 study · 435 participants
  GRADE not reported

Incarcerated mother vs Comparison children

Dental caries prevalence was 89.8% among children of incarcerated mothers.

• Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade. 2021 All outcomes

  Overall
  Prevalence 89.8
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Emirati nationality vs Non-Emirati nationality

Overall caries prevalence was 41%.

• Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade. 2021 All outcomes

  Overall
  Prevalence 41
  1 study · 186 participants
  GRADE not reported

Observed population vs Not applicable

Dental caries prevalence was 74.1%.

• Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade. 2021 All outcomes

  Overall
  Prevalence 74.1
  1 study · 540 participants
  GRADE not reported

Slum / urban-disadvantaged setting vs Non-slum urban / general-urban / national population

Dental caries prevalence in LMIC urban/slum populations ranges widely (13%-76%); not GRADE-rated (narrative synthesis).

• Systematic review of oral health in slums and non-slum urban settings of Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs):… 2024 All outcomes

  Cross-sectional · Urban slums and non-slum/general-urban settings, LMICs
  Prevalence of dental caries varied across age, gender and socioeconomic class, ranging from 13% (Nigeria) to 76% (Central India); prevalence >50% reported in India, Brazil, Malaysia and Rwanda; generally higher in…
  14 studies
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

• Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Somalia
  Prevalence 0.414 [0.109, 0.719]
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

Caries prevalence in permanent dentition (>=12 years) was 50.2% (95% CI 38.4 to 62.1); certainty not graded.

• Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Community- and school-based populations, East Africa · Permanent dentition (>=12 years)
  Prevalence 0.502 [0.384, 0.621]
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

The pooled prevalence of dental caries in East Africa (2000-2020) was 45.7% (95% CI 38.0 to 53.4); certainty not graded.

• Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Community- and school-based populations, East Africa
  Prevalence 0.457 [0.380, 0.534]
  44 studies
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

• Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Ethiopia
  Prevalence 0.440 [0.326, 0.553]
  12 studies
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

• Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Kenya
  Prevalence 0.456 [0.240, 0.672]
  5 studies
  GRADE not reported

Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable

Fixed-effect pooled dental caries prevalence was 57.0% (95% CI 56.4% to 57.6%).

• Prevalence of dental caries in Pakistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  2009 to 2020 · Pakistan · Fixed-effects model
  Prevalence 56.999 [56.415, 57.581]
  30 studies · 27878 participants
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

Caries prevalence was highest in Eritrea at 65.2% (95% CI 49.2 to 81.1); certainty not graded.

• Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Community- and school-based populations, East Africa · Eritrea
  Prevalence 0.652 [0.492, 0.811]
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

• Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Rwanda
  Prevalence 0.425 [0.360, 0.489]
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

Caries prevalence in Sudan was 57.8% (95% CI 36.0 to 79.7); certainty not graded.

• Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2021 All outcomes

  Community- and school-based populations, East Africa · Sudan
  Prevalence 0.578 [0.360, 0.797]
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported