What the study found
The review found a pooled prevalence of dental caries, or tooth decay, in the first permanent molars of 0.33 across studies from Asia, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Prevalence was reported as higher in adolescents than in children.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the relatively high prevalence underscores the need for sustained clinical and public health focus. They also note that the findings cannot be generalized to North America or Oceania because no data from those regions were available.
What the researchers tested
The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on dental caries in first permanent molars among people aged 6 to 18 years. They searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Wanfang, and CNKI for studies published before 3 January 2026, then used R software to pool prevalence estimates and examine heterogeneity and publication bias.
What worked and what didn't
Across 66 studies with 768,263 eligible subjects, the pooled prevalence was 0.33 (95% CI: 0.28, 0.38). By region, the reported prevalences were 0.30 in Asia, 0.53 in Africa, 0.51 in Europe, and 0.48 in Latin America; by age group, they were 0.31 in children and 0.45 in adolescents.
What to keep in mind
The abstract reports statistically significant subgroup differences by World Bank region, sample size, publication year, sex, and disease diagnosis, but it does not provide the detailed causes of those differences. The available summary also does not describe additional limitations beyond the lack of data from North America and Oceania.
Key points
- The pooled prevalence of caries in first permanent molars was 0.33 across the included studies.
- Reported prevalence was higher in adolescents (0.45) than in children (0.31).
- Regional prevalence estimates ranged from 0.30 in Asia to 0.53 in Africa.
- The review included 66 studies and 768,263 participants aged 6 to 18 years.
- The authors say the findings are not generalizable to North America or Oceania because no data were available.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- First permanent molar caries are common across four world regions
- Authors:
- Mingsheng He, Pei Zhu, Yonglan Wei, Wen Qian, L Wang
- Institutions:
- Chengdu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chengdu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Mianyang City Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-05
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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