Oral Health Status and Dental Treatment Needs in Syrian Refugee Children in Zaatari Camp

The Syrian crisis has resulted in a devastating impact on refugees' oral health and data on their oral health is lacking. To explore oral health and dental needs of Syrian refugee children, a cross-sectional study of 484 children was conducted. Caries prevalence, DMFT, SiC, and oral hygiene indices were recorded. Caries prevalence was 96.1%, with mean dmft/DMFT scores of 3.65/1.15, SiC scores were 6.64/2.56, and Hygiene Index was 1.13. Decay was the main component of dmft/DMFT (89%-88%). Most common complaint was pain (98.3%) with 88% of the children do not brush/brush occasionally. Pearson's correlation displayed a strong association between dental caries and age (P < 0.01), where caries in permanent dentition increases and in deciduous dentition decreases. Syrian refugees showed poor oral health, high caries prevalence, high unmet dental needs, and poor oral hygiene practices, which indicates lack of dental care services, and warranting urgent prevention to reduce the burden of oral disease of this population.

Automated summary

The study investigated the oral health status of 484 Syrian refugee children, revealing poor oral health, high caries prevalence, and inadequate oral hygiene practices. There is a significant correlation between age and dental caries, with decay increasing in permanent dentition and decreasing in deciduous dentition.