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Cited by 73Dental Health and Care UtilizationOral microbiology and periodontitis researchHIV/AIDS oral health manifestations

Prevalence and Severity of Oral Diseases in the Africa and Middle East Region

Abid, A., Maatouk, F., Berrezouga, L., Azodo, C., Uti, O., El-Shamy, H., Oginni, A.·2015·Advances in Dental Research
DOI 10.1177/0022034515582062
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Abstract

This review aims to determine the prevalence and severity of oral health diseases in the Africa and Middle East region (AMER). The profile of oral diseases is not homogeneous across the AMER. There are large disparities between groups. Reliable data are scarce. The prevalence and severity of oral diseases appear to be increasing in the African region, as does associated morbidity. There are substantial differences in inequalities in oral health. Dental caries prevalence is less severe in most African countries than in developed countries, but the high rate of untreated caries reflects the limited resources available and difficulties of access and affordability to essential oral health care services. The prevalence of gingival inflammation is very high in all age groups in several African countries. The prevalence of maxillofacial trauma has increased in many countries, with a wide variation of the incidence and high prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in primary and permanent teeth. Orofacial clefts are among the most common birth defects. Annual incidence of oral cancer is estimated as 25 cases per 100,000 people in Africa. Noma is a major public health problem for the Middle East and North African (MENA) region. Data about human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS are limited, particularly in the MENA region. According to the World Health Organization Regional Committee for Africa report, some fundamental key basic knowledge gaps need to be underlined. They include inequalities in oral health, low priority for oral health, lack of adequate funding, inadequate dental student training, obstacles to medical and dental research, and poor databases. There are very few effective public prevention and oral health promotion programs in the AMER. Universal health coverage is not achievable without scientific research on the effectiveness of health promotion interventions.

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  • Incidence rates for oral cancers and periodontal disease are increasing, especially in populations with co-morbidities such as HIV/AIDS, where oral lesions are common.

    “Incidence rates for oral cancers and periodontal disease are also increasing, especially in populations with co-morbidities such as HIV/AIDS, where oral lesions are common (25).”

    From Oral health in Africa: a neglected public health priority (2026) · cites this paper as [25]

  • Cleft lip and/or palate are among the most frequent congenital disorders in the WHO African Region.

    “Cleft lip and/or palate are among the most frequent congenital disorders [1,2,5].”

    From Oral health workforce in Africa: a scarce resource (2023) · cites this paper as [1]

  • There is increasing prevalence of dental trauma in both primary and secondary dentitions in the WHO African Region.

    “there is increasing prevalence of dental trauma in both primary and secondary dentitions [1]”

    From Oral health workforce in Africa: a scarce resource (2023) · cites this paper as [1]

  • Acute dental conditions cause pain, suffering, and even death.

    “In summary, there is an urgent need to develop primary care services with an appropriate workforce to address the pain, suffering, and even death from acute dental conditions [1,5,7].”

    From Oral health workforce in Africa: a scarce resource (2023) · cites this paper as [1]

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Authors
Abid, A., Maatouk, F., Berrezouga, L., Azodo, C., Uti, O., El-Shamy, H., & Oginni, A.
Affiliations
  • University of Monastir (TN)
  • University of Benin Teaching Hospital (NG)
  • University of Lagos (NG)
  • King Abdulaziz University (SA)
  • Obafemi Awolowo University (NG)
ORCID
Venue
Advances in Dental Research
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2015-06-22
Volume
27
Issue
1
Pages
10-17
ISSN
  • 0895-9374 (ISSN-L)
  • 1544-0737
DOI
10.1177/0022034515582062
OpenAlex
W1848838216
Cited by
73
References
51
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 3
FWCI
0.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations
  • Advances in Dental Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • World Health Organization
  • International Association for Dental Research
  • Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
  • Borrow Foundation
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Dental Health and Care Utilization
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › HIV/AIDS oral health manifestations
Keywords
oral diseases, dental caries, untreated dental caries, gingivitis, maxillofacial trauma, dental trauma, orofacial clefts, oral cancer, noma, HIV/AIDS, oral health disparities, oral health promotion, Africa, Middle East and North Africa
MeSH terms
Africa, Health Policy, Health Priorities, Health Services Accessibility, Humans, Middle East, Mouth Diseases, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Incidence, Prevalence, Health Status Disparities, Healthcare Disparities

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