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Published on: March 29, 2018
Developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the primary dentition: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Francine S Costa1, Ethieli R Silveira2, Gabriela S Pinto3
1Postgraduate Program in Dentistry and Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil.
Objectives:
This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the association between developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the primary dentition.
Sources:
Electronic searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Scopus and Scielo for the identification of relevant studies.
Study Selection:
Observational studies that examined the association between developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the deciduous dentition were included. Additionally, meta-analysis, funnel plots and sensitivity analysis were employed to synthesize the available evidence. Multivariable meta-regression analysis was performed to explore heterogeneity among studies.
Data:
A total of 318 articles were identified in the electronic searches. Of those, 16 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled estimates revealed that children with developmental defects of enamel had higher odds of having dental caries (OR 3.32; 95%CI 2.41-4.57), with high heterogeneity between studies (I2 80%). Methodological characteristic of the studies, such as where it was conducted, the examined teeth and the quality of the study explained about 30% of the variability. Concerning type of defect, children with hypoplasia and diffuse opacities had higher odds of having dental caries (OR 4.28; 95%CI 2.24-8.15; OR1.42; 95%CI 1.15-1.76, respectively).
Conclusions:
This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates a clear association between developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the primary dentition.
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