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Does Growth Stunting Correlate with Oral Health in Children?: A Systematic Review

Zayyana Jasmine Sadida1, Ratna Indriyanti2, Arlette Suzy Setiawan2

  • 1Faculty of Dentistry, Universitas Padjadjaran, Jl. Sekeloa Selatan 1, Bandung, Indonesia.

European Journal of Dentistry
|October 1, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Children with growth stunting often experience poorer oral health, including higher plaque levels and increased risk of dental caries. This impacts overall oral hygiene and salivary factors in pediatric populations.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Oral Health
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Growth stunting, defined by WHO standards, impacts children's physical development.
  • Stunting can affect brain development and other bodily systems, including the oral cavity.
  • Oral health issues in stunted children may manifest as poor oral hygiene and compromised overall oral health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically evaluate the correlation between growth stunting and oral health in children.
  • To synthesize findings from existing literature on this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic literature review using PubMed and Google Scholar.
  • Inclusion criteria: studies on malnutrition and oral health (2010-2020), children aged 0-18.
  • Exclusion criteria: articles not discussing growth stunting and oral health, grey literature. PRISMA guidelines followed.

Main Results:

  • Ten articles were selected for review.
  • Three articles showed a correlation between growth stunting and oral health.
  • Findings indicated a high plaque index, decreased salivary flow rate, altered salivary composition, and increased dental caries in stunted children.

Conclusions:

  • A link exists between growth stunting and diminished oral health in children.
  • Oral health indicators like plaque index, salivary flow, and caries incidence are affected by stunting.
  • Further research is needed, but current evidence suggests significant oral health implications for growth-stunted children.

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