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Published on: March 31, 2021
Dental crowding as a caries risk factor: a systematic review
Hend Salah Hafez1, Sherif Mohamed Shaarawy, Ahmed Awadh Al-Sakiti
1Department of Orthodontics, Oral and Dental Research Division, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
Summary
The link between dental crowding and cavities is unclear. This systematic review found no high-quality studies definitively proving or disproving a connection, highlighting the need for more research.
Area of Science:
- Dentistry
- Orthodontics
- Public Health
Background:
- Dental crowding is often assumed to increase caries risk due to plaque and food retention.
- This systematic review aimed to rigorously assess the evidence for a causal link between dental crowding and dental caries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically evaluate the scientific literature for a causal relationship between dental crowding and dental caries.
- To synthesize findings from existing studies regarding this association.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive search of six electronic databases was conducted, supplemented by manual searches of references and journals.
- Inclusion criteria were applied, and data from eligible studies were extracted and evaluated by two independent reviewers.
- Non-English articles were excluded.
Main Results:
- Out of 6914 initial citations, only 18 met the inclusion criteria, with 8 studies included in the qualitative review.
- The quality of the included studies was generally low to moderate.
- Findings were inconsistent: 4 studies found no association, 2 found a negative correlation, 1 found a direct positive relationship, and 1 showed mixed results based on region.
Conclusions:
- Current evidence is insufficient to establish a definitive link between dental crowding and caries.
- There is a lack of high-quality, longitudinal studies to clarify this complex relationship.
- Further rigorous research is essential to resolve the association between dental crowding and caries.
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