Oral Health in Migrants: An Observational Study on the Oral Health Status of a Migrant Cohort Coming from Middle- and Low-Income Countries

Abstract

Introduction. The oral health conditions of migrants coming from middle- and low-income countries to developed countries have been shown to be poorer than those of the host population. Since the phenomenon of migration has continued to grow over the past five decades, the oral health status of migrant populations should be an issue of great concern. Objectives. The objective of our observational study was to analyse the periodontal health status and the prevalence of dental caries and lesions of the oral mucosa in a migrant cohort resident in Italy, assessing the association between the oral health status and the educational level of the included patients. Materials and Methods. Our research was conducted at the dental department of Policlinico Tor Vergata (Rome, Italy). A sample of 200 migrants coming from middle- and low-income countries, aged between 3 and 37, was included in our study. Each patient underwent a physical examination of the oral cavity, recording the DMFT/dmft index, Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPI), and lesions of the oral mucosa. The one-way ANOVA test was used to establish the correlation between the oral health status and the educational level of the participants. Results. Many participants (62.5%) showed a DMFT/dmft Index ≥ 4; only 27% of the migrants had a DMFT/dmft Index lower than 4, and only 21 of them (10.5%) were recorded at 0. A CPI equal to 0 or 1 was observed in 131 patients (65.5%), while only 30 participants presented a CPI equal to or higher than 4 (15%), and 19.5% (39 patients) were assigned to code 2 and 3. Significant statistical differences were found in the CPI after adjusting data for the educational level of the included participants (p-value < 0.01). Conclusions. The data obtained in our research highlighted poor oral conditions among the analysed migrant population, recording a high prevalence of dental caries and inadequate oral hygiene habits.