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Cited by 13Dental Health and Care UtilizationPublic Health and Social InequalitiesOral microbiology and periodontitis research

A scoping review on early childhood caries and inequalities using the Sustainable Development Goal 10 framework

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Foláyan, Morẹ́nikẹ́ Oluwátóyìn, de Barros Coelho, Elisa Maria Rosa, Feldens, Carlos Alberto, Gaffar, Balgis, Virtanen, Jorma I., Abodunrin, Olunike Rebecca, Duangthip, Duangporn, Al-Batayneh, Ola B. +3 more·2025·BMC Oral Health
DOI 10.1186/s12903-025-05587-1PMC PMC11812211
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Social inequalities contribute to health disparities. This study aimed to map evidence on early childhood caries (ECC) related to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 10 (SDG 10). METHODS: A scoping review was conducted in May 2024 following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL for studies published in English and addressing population level social inequalities. Studies measuring individual level of social inequalities were excluded as they were covered by other SDGs. However, studies incorporating individual measures as additional measures of population level social inequality were included. Retrieved papers were summarized, inductively analysed and a conceptual framework linking SDG 10 was developed. RESULTS: Of 452 studies retrieved, 42 met the inclusion criteria. Studies measured inequality among groups (deprivation, family income, indigenous communities, ethnicity, minority status) [14 studies], institutions (type of school, nursery or school facility, school poverty index, public primary health care units) [five studies], and inequality in communities (neighbourhood socio-economic status, Human Development Index, employment rate, income inequality, sanitary sewer and water supply, residents/household ratio, urban vs rural vs remote rural, accessibility index, location index, the slope index of inequality) [24 studies]. These levels of social inequalities were linked to higher prevalence of ECC; social and economic policies contributed to widening inequalities in ECC severity; and although effective interventions targeted at at-risk populations could reduce dental health disparities, study interventions differed by deprivation status. Six studies (14.3%) addressed SDG 10.1, 33 (78.6%) addressed SDG 10.2, 11 (26.2%) addressed SDG 10.3, and three (7.1%) addressed SDG 10.4. Fourteen studies (33.3%) addressed a combination of SDGs. The conceptual framework highlights the role of structural inequalities stemming from the cumulative impact of institutional decisions and systemic inequalities. CONCLUSION: This scoping review underscores the profound influence of social inequality on ECC through interactions between multi-level factors. Further research is needed to explore the links between ECC and other SDG 10 targets, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

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  • Delays or failures in implementation disproportionately affect children, older adults, rural communities, low-income populations and residents of LMICs, thereby reinforcing and widening existing oral health inequalities.

    “delays or failures in implementation disproportionately affect children, older adults, rural communities, low-income populations and residents of LMICs, thereby reinforcing and widening existing oral health inequalities.19”

    From Mapping evidence on implementation research in oral health: a global scoping review protocol (2026) · cites this paper as [19]

    The Introduction and Discussion (page numbers unavailable) describe oral-health inequalities affecting disadvantaged children, low-income populations, remote communities and low-income countries. They do not establish that delays or failures in implementation disproportionately affect all the listed groups, and the review does not address older adults. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Research works printed but not linked: 4

  1. [2]GBD 2017 Oral Disorders Collaborators, Bernabe E, Marcenes W, Hernandez CR, Bailey J, Abreu LG, Alipour V, et al. Global, Regional, and National Levels and Trends in Burden of Oral Conditions from 1990 to 2017: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease 2017 Study. J Dent Res. 2020;99(4):362–73. 10.1177/002203452090853. 32122215 PMC7088322 · DOI
  2. [28]Folayan MO, Ramos-Gomez F, Sabbah W, El Tantawi M. Editorial: Country profile of the epidemiology and clinical management of early childhood caries, volume II. Front Public Health. 2023;6(11):1201899. 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1201899.Erratum.In:FrontOralHealth.2023Dec11;4:1242565. PMC10280162 37346104 · DOI
  3. [89]FDI World Dental Federation. Oral Health Atlas 2nd Edition. 2015. Available from: https://www.fdiworlddental.org/oral-health-atlas. Accessed.
  4. [109]DeVerteuil G. Inequality. International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Oxford: Elsevier; 2009.

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Authors
Foláyan, M. O., de Barros Coelho, E. M. R., Feldens, C. A., Gaffar, B., Virtanen, J. I., Abodunrin, O. R., Duangthip, D., Al-Batayneh, O. B., Vukovic, A., El Tantawi, M., & Schroth, R. J.
Affiliations
  • Obafemi Awolowo University (NG)
  • Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR)
  • Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (SA)
  • University of Bergen (NO)
  • Lead City University (NG)
  • The Ohio State University (US)
  • Jordan University of Science and Technology (JO)
  • University of Belgrade (RS)
  • University of Manitoba (CA)
Corresponding author
Foláyan, Morẹ́nikẹ́ Oluwátóyìn
ORCID
Venue
BMC Oral Health
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2025-02-10
Volume
25
Issue
1
Pages
219-219
ISSN
1472-6831 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/s12903-025-05587-1
PMC
PMC11812211
OpenAlex
W4407322354
Cited by
13
References
103
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 4
FWCI
2.19
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • BMC Oral Health (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Mspace (University of Manitoba) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Dental Health and Care Utilization
  • Social Sciences › Health › Public Health and Social Inequalities
  • Health Sciences › Dentistry › Periodontics › Oral microbiology and periodontitis research
Keywords
early childhood caries, social inequality, Sustainable Development Goal 10, health disparities, socioeconomic deprivation, neighborhood socioeconomic status, indigenous peoples, ethnicity, structural inequality, multilevel determinants, low- and lower-middle-income countries
MeSH terms
Sustainable Development, Child, Child, Preschool, Dental Caries, Humans, Socioeconomic Factors, Health Status Disparities

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