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

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the level of oral health among Spanish and immigrant children residing in Barcelona, Spain. Oral health status was evaluated in 1400 children aged 3 to 14 years between September 2018 and June 2019. Multiple variables (dental caries lesions, exodontia, trauma, malocclusions, gingivitis, fillings, stainless steel crowns in primary dentition, and pit and fissure sealings in permanent dentition) were compared in both populations. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) were found in the prevalence of caries in the primary dentition, which was higher in the immigrant group (62.3%) than in the Spanish group (42.6%). For the permanent dentition, the prevalence of dental caries lesions was 12.2% in Spanish children and 16.4% in immigrant children, showing statistically significant differences (p = 0.026) between the two groups. The prevalence of fillings in the primary dentition was 14.6% in Spanish and 12.5% in immigrant children (p = 0.253). Regarding the permanent dentition, the number of fillings was also higher in the Spanish population (6.8%) compared to the immigrant population (3.5%), again evidencing statistically significant differences (p = 0.006). Our findings suggest a better oral health status in Spanish children than in immigrant children.