Influence of different ethnicities on early childhood caries in preschool children at risk of social exclusion in Southeastern Spain

Authors

  • Y Martínez-Beneyto DDS, PhD. Doctor Contracted Professor. Unit of preventive and Community Dentistry. Department of Dermatology, Stomatology and Radiology. Faculty of medicine - Dentistry. Institute of Biomedical Research, IMIB. University of Murcia
  • I Navarro-VeraI DDS. Department of Preventive & Community Dentistry. Faculty of Medicine-Dentistry. University of Murcia Spain
  • C Serna-Muñoz DDS, MDS, PhD. Assistant Professor. Unit of Integral Paediatric Dentistry. Department of Dermatology, Stomatology and Radiology. Faculty of Medicine-Dentistry. Institute of Biomedical Research, IMIB, University of Murcia Murcia
  • AJ Ortiz-Ruiz MD, MDS, PhD. Professor. Unit of Integral Paediatric Dentistry. Department of Dermatology, Stomatology and Radiology. Faculty of Medicine-Dentistry. Institute of Biomedical Research, IMIB. University of Murcia Murcia
  • A Vicente DDS, MDS, PhD. Professor. Unit of Orthodontics. Department of Dermatology, Stomatology and Radiology. Faculty of Medicine-Dentistry. Institute of Biomedical Research, IMIB. University of Murcia Murcia
  • JM Montiel-Company DDS, MDS, PhD. Professor. Department of Stomatology. Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. University of Valencia Spain

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23804/ejpd.2025.2126

Keywords:

Dental caries, caries prevalence, ICDAS, social exclusion

Abstract

AIM: To estimate the prevalence of early childhood caries and to study a possible influence on different ethnicities in preschool children aged 3 to 5 with social exclusion risk. BACKGROUND: Oral diseases are a major global public health problem, with negative effects at both individual and collective levels, and there is a relationship between socioeconomic characteristics such as income, occupation and educational level, with the prevalence and severity of oral diseases. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in a sample of 288 preschool children belonging to three schools in the Southeastern Spain among other variables dmft and ICDASS index. CONCLUSION: The ethnicity of school children at risk of social exclusion is a determining factor in the increased prevalence of cavities in primary caries.