Title:Prevalence of White Spot Caries Lesions in Primary Teeth in Preschool Children: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Author(s): Priscila H. Campos, Thais Gimenez, Rafael S. Rocha, Taciana M.F. Caneppele, Renata O. Guaré, Adrian Lussi, Eduardo Bresciani and Michele B. Diniz*
Affiliation:
- Post-graduate Program in Dentistry, Cruzeiro do Sul University, São Paulo, Brazil
Keywords:
Dental caries, white spot lesions, primary teeth, preschool child, prevalence, meta-analysis.
Abstract: Background: The first clinically detectable stage of caries lesion is a non-cavitated
white spot lesion (WSL). The detection of early stages of caries lesions allows non-invasive management
by fluoride usage, oral hygiene and diet control. There is a lack of information in the literature
regarding the prevalence of these caries lesions in preschool children, which is important especially
for public health strategies.
Objective: The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis to verify
the WSLs prevalence in primary teeth of preschool children.
Methods: A literature search with MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Open Gray
databases was conducted. Included studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria. Meta-analyses were performed
using random effects model, for prevalence of pooled WSLs and subgroups analyses.
Results: The search strategy identified 4922 potentially relevant articles, with final inclusion of 16
studies. The pooled prevalence of WSLs in primary teeth was 14.0% (95% CI: 8.0-24.0), without
publication bias (p=0.2668). For subgroup analyses, an increase in WSLs prevalence for children
of low-income economy (24.0%; 95% CI: 20.0-28.0), for age >31 months (22.0%; 95% CI:
12.0-37.0), for validated visual criteria assessment (20.0%; 95% CI: 11.0-33.0), and for tactile assessment
with ball-ended probe (26.0%; 95% CI: 11-50.0) were detected.
Conclusion: It is suggested that the prevalence of WSLs in primary teeth of preschool children increases
in countries with low income economy, with age greater than 31 months or texture assessment
with visual validated criteria or ball-ended probe.
PROSPERO Registration: Protocol number #CDR42017078434.
