Prevalence of untreated decay (% DT > 0) · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States
In Australia, low versus high income differed by 11.90 percentage points in prevalence of untreated decay.
5 findings from 1 review
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Mean number of decayed teeth (mean DT) · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States
Across four countries, low versus high income differed by 0.44 decayed teeth in mean number of decayed teeth (random-effects meta-analysis; I2=76.4%).
5 findings from 1 review
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Prevalence of fair/poor self-rated oral health · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States
Across four countries, low versus high income differed by 15.77 percentage points in prevalence of fair/poor self-rated oral health (random-effects meta-analysis; I2=13.4%).
5 findings from 1 review
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Determinants of oral diseases · Adult residents of slums and non-slum urban settings of LMICs
Age, education, income, oral-hygiene behaviour, dental-visit pattern and slum/disadvantaged residence are associated with oral disease; gender effects are disease-specific; ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review
Fourteen studies reported determinants: older age, less education, lower income, poor oral hygiene behaviour (brushing frequency, technique), infrequent dental visits and disadvantaged/slum residential setting were…
14 studies
GRADE not reported
Severe early childhood caries · Children aged 5-6 years in Ajman schools
Low family income was associated with higher odds of severe early childhood caries.
1 finding from 1 review
Poor oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) · Children aged 3-12 years
Children from low-income families had higher odds of poor OHRQoL (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.11-1.21; 4 studies; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 1.16 [1.11, 1.21]
4 studies
GRADE not reported
Dental caries · Healthy children and adolescents in the United Arab Emirates
Evidence on socioeconomic status/income and caries was inconsistent: some studies linked lower income to higher caries while others found no association (narrative synthesis; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Findings were contradictory. Hashim et al. found children from low-income families had higher odds of severe early childhood caries (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.11-1.85), and Ahmad et al. reported significantly higher DMFT in…
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Dental caries · Children (deciduous and/or permanent dentition) in low- and middle-income countries
High SES showed no significant association with dental caries (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.31; 5 studies; not GRADE-rated).
2 findings from 1 review
Low SES prevalence (among children with caries) · Children with dental caries (deciduous and/or permanent dentition) in low- and middle-income countries
About 36% of children with caries in LMICs were of low SES (pooled prevalence 0.359, 95% CI 0.167 to 0.578; 4 studies; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries increment in permanent teeth · School children and adolescents (6-18 years) followed from primary dentition (baseline examination before 72 months of age)
Evidence on the association between sociodemographic/socioeconomic factors and permanent-teeth caries is weak and inconsistent (3 studies; could not be pooled; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Odds of higher caries (DMFT) category · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022)
Higher national income was strongly associated with lower odds of poor oral health (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.37; about 90% lower odds); not GRADE-rated.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022)
Mean DMFT in 12-year-olds rises as national income falls: 0.90 (very high income), 2.38 (high income), 3.30 (middle income) (Figure 2); not GRADE-rated.
3 findings from 1 review
Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European countries: A… 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022) · European countries stratified by World Bank GNI per capita (modified 3-category); test of group differences Q_b(2)=51.35, p<0.01 · Very high income (GNI >$25,000)
MEAN 0.90 [0.66, 1.15]
14 studies
GRADE not reported
Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European countries: A… 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022) · European countries stratified by World Bank GNI per capita (modified 3-category); test of group differences Q_b(2)=51.35, p<0.01 · High income (GNI $15,001-25,000)
MEAN 2.38 [1.78, 2.97]
8 studies
GRADE not reported
Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European countries: A… 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022) · European countries stratified by World Bank GNI per capita (modified 3-category); test of group differences Q_b(2)=51.35, p<0.01 · Middle income (GNI <=$15,000)
MEAN 3.30 [2.57, 4.03]
12 studies
GRADE not reported
Oral health-related quality of life · Adolescents (10-19 years)
Higher family income / better socioeconomic status is associated with better OHRQoL in adolescents (narrative synthesis; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating).
1 finding from 1 review
Oral-health-related quality of life in adolescents: umbrella review. 2023 All outcomesCommunity/school/clinic settings; adolescents 10-19 years; included reviews conducted in multiple countries
Adolescents from families with higher incomes and higher levels of maternal education have better OHRQoL scores [34]. Worse oral health status, older age, female sex and worse socioeconomic status were significantly…
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
Older adults in countries with relative income equality (low Gini index) had markedly higher OHRQoL (91.3, 95% CI 90.0 to 92.6) than those in less equal countries; the difference by Gini index was statistically significant (ungraded).
4 findings from 1 review
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MEAN 81.2 [75.3, 88.3]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Periodontitis and allostatic load · US adults in NHANES III
Allostatic load partly explained socioeconomic gradients in periodontal disease.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
1 study
GRADE not reported
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
Community-dwelling older adults in higher-income countries had better OHRQoL than those in lower-income countries (77.9, 95% CI 70.2 to 85.6 vs 66.9, 95% CI 56.7 to 77.0); the difference by income was statistically significant (ungraded).
2 findings from 1 review
MEAN 77.9 [70.2, 85.6]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
MEAN 66.9 [56.7, 77.0]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Periodontitis and allostatic load · US adults in NHANES 1999-2004
Allostatic load increased the probability of periodontitis and the association varied by race/ethnicity.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
1 study
GRADE not reported
Fluoride toothpaste use prevalence (among children with caries) · Children with dental caries (deciduous and/or permanent dentition) in low- and middle-income countries
About 39% of children with caries in LMICs used fluoride toothpaste (pooled prevalence 0.391, 95% CI 0.166 to 0.644; 2 studies; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Plaque index (PI) / oral hygiene · Primary school children (aged 3-16 years) attending primary school in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
School-based interventions may reduce dental plaque scores (SMD -0.32, favouring intervention), but the certainty of evidence is very low.
1 finding from 1 review
Dental caries (association with no formal maternal education) · Children (deciduous and/or permanent dentition) in low- and middle-income countries
No formal maternal education showed a non-significant trend toward higher odds of dental caries (OR 1.34, 95% CI 0.76 to 2.36; 3 studies; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review