Oral Health Challenges in Refugees from the Middle East and Africa: A Comparative Study

Overview

Journal J Immigr Minor Health

Publisher Springer

Specialties Public Health
Social Sciences

Date 2018 Jul 2

PMID 29961163

Citations 11

Authors

Ann C Hoyvik

Birgit Lie

Andrej M Grjibovski

Tiril Willumsen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The aim was to explore and compare oral health and need for dental treatment in newly arrived refugees from the Middle East and Africa to Norway. Oral examination and structured interviews were performed with attending interpreters. Associations between origin and measures for oral health were studied with multiple linear regression. Half of the refugees (n = 132) reported oral impacts on daily performances (OIDP) and mean number of decayed teeth (DT) was 4.3 (SD 3.5). Refugees from the Middle East had more DT (1.38, p = 0.044), higher sum of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) (3.93, p = 0.001) and lower OIDP-score (- 3.72, p = 0.026) than refugees from Africa. Refugee oral health is generally poor, with more extensive challenges in refugees from the Middle East. However, few missing teeth, and manageable caries-gradient at the time of registration indicate that most refugees have the prerequisites for a good dentition, provided they get the necessary treatment.

Citing Articles

Oral health, stress and barriers accessing dental health care among war-affected Ukrainian refugees in Germany.

Ponomarenko M, Kaifie A BMC Oral Health. 2023; 23(1):804.

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Higher prevalence of dental caries and periodontal problems among refugees: A scoping review.

Banihashem Rad S, Esteves Oliveira M, Maklennan A, Castiglia P, Campus G J Glob Health. 2023; 13:04111.

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The impact of culture on new Asian immigrants' access to oral health care: a scoping review.

Doucette H, Yang S, Spina M Can J Dent Hyg. 2023; 57(1):33-43.

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Evaluation and Comparison of Oral Health Status between Spanish and Immigrant Children Residing in Barcelona, Spain.

Duran A, Framis-de-Mena B, Vazquez Salceda M, Guinot Jimeno F Children (Basel). 2022; 9(9).

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