Dental Caries among Refugees in Europe: A Systematic Literature Review

Sneha Bhusari, Chiamaka Ilechukwu, Abdelrahman Elwishahy, Olaf Horstick, Volker Winkler and Khatia Antia
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Sneha Bhusari: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Chiamaka Ilechukwu: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Abdelrahman Elwishahy: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Olaf Horstick: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Volker Winkler: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Khatia Antia: Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University Hospital, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 24, 1-11

Abstract: Oral health is one of the most neglected aspects of refugee health. The study aimed to systematically review evidence on prevalence of dental caries and dental care services provided to refugees in Europe. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched PubMed, Cochrane, WHOLIS, Web of Science, Medline Ovid, and Google Scholar identifying studies on dental caries among refugees in Europe after the 2015 refugee crisis. From 3160 records, fourteen studies were included in the analysis. Eight studies on oral health showed caries prevalence of between 50% and 100%, while it ranged from 3% to 65% in six general health studies. Caries prevalence was proportional to age and inversely associated with education, whereas gender and country of origin showed no significant association. Nowhere is oral health part of general health assessment on arrival and is complaint based. Primary focus on resettlement, language, cultural, and economic barriers emerged as explanatory models for limited access. Our study identified a high prevalence of caries and limited access to dental health services as main challenges. Integrating oral health check-ups may contribute in shifting towards preventive oral care. Further research is urgently needed to better understand the dental needs of refugees in Europe.

Keywords: caries; decay; Decayed Missing and Filled index (DMF) and dental health; refugee; asylum seeker (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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