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AI Summary of Peer-Reviewed Research

This page presents an AI-generated summary of a published research paper. The original authors did not write or review this article. [See full disclosure ↓]

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Dental caries prevalence in first permanent molars is relatively high

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A dental professional in light blue scrubs and protective eyewear examines a young child's teeth in a bright, modern clinical dental setting with equipment and supplies visible in the background.
Research area:DentistryMolarPermanent teeth

What the study found

The study found a pooled prevalence of dental caries in the first permanent molars of 0.33 among people aged 6 to 18 years across Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

Why the authors say this matters

The authors conclude that the relatively high prevalence underscores the need for sustained clinical and public health focus.

What the researchers tested

The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using Pub Med, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CNKI. They included 66 studies with 768,263 eligible subjects and estimated pooled prevalence with R software, using random-effects or fixed-effect models based on I2 and checking publication bias with Egger’s test and funnel plots.

What worked and what didn't

The pooled prevalence was 0.33 (95% CI: 0.28, 0.38). By region, prevalence was 0.30 in Asia, 0.53 in Africa, 0.51 in Europe, and 0.48 in Latin America; by age group, it was 0.31 in children and 0.45 in adolescents. Statistically significant differences were also reported by World Bank region, sample size, publication year, sex, and disease diagnosis.

What to keep in mind

The findings are not generalizable to North America or Oceania because no data were available from those regions. The abstract also notes that the study aimed to provide suggestions for subsequent analysis, but it does not describe additional limitations.

Key points

  • The pooled prevalence of dental caries in the first permanent molars was 0.33 in people aged 6 to 18 years.
  • Regional prevalence estimates were 0.30 in Asia, 0.53 in Africa, 0.51 in Europe, and 0.48 in Latin America.
  • Prevalence was 0.31 in children and 0.45 in adolescents.
  • Significant subgroup differences were reported by World Bank region, sample size, publication year, sex, and disease diagnosis.
  • The findings do not apply to North America or Oceania because no data were available from those regions.

Disclosure

Research title:
Dental caries prevalence in first permanent molars is relatively high
Publication date:
2026-03-05
DOI:
10.1186/s12903-026-08023-0
OpenAlex record:
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AI provenance: AI provenance information is not available for this post.