Academic Journal
Prevalence of dental caries in the primary, mixed and permanent dentitions in Nigeria: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
| Title: | Prevalence of dental caries in the primary, mixed and permanent dentitions in Nigeria: A systematic review and meta-analysis. |
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| Authors: | Akinsolu FT; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Basic Medical and Health Sciences, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria.; Clinical Sciences Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America., Abodunrin OR; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Basic Medical and Health Sciences, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria.; Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China., Chukwuemeka A; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Basic Medical and Health Sciences, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria., Olagunju MT; Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China., Adewole IE; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Basic Medical and Health Sciences, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria., Salako AO; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Basic Medical and Health Sciences, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria.; Clinical Sciences Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria., Eleje GU; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Nnewi, Nigeria.; Effective Care Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria., Ehizele AO; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Periodontics, School of Dentistry, College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria., Lusher J; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Provost's Group, Regent's University London, London, United Kingdom., Owotade F; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria., Ezechi OC; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Basic Medical and Health Sciences, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria.; Clinical Sciences Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria., Foláyan MO; Oral Health Initiative, Center for Reproduction and Population Health Studies, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria.; Department of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.; Department of Child Dental Health, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. |
| Source: | PloS one [PLoS One] 2026 Jun 01; Vol. 21 (6), pp. e0349112. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jun 01 (Print Publication: 2026). |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article; Systematic Review; Meta-Analysis |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Public Library of Science Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 101285081 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1932-6203 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 19326203 NLM ISO Abbreviation: PLoS One Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: San Francisco, CA : Public Library of Science |
| MeSH Terms: | Dental Caries*/epidemiology , Dentition, Permanent* , Dentition, Mixed* , Tooth, Deciduous*, Nigeria/epidemiology ; Humans ; Prevalence |
| Abstract: | Background: The national prevalence of dental caries in Nigeria is currently unknown. The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence of dental caries in the primary, mixed and permanent dentition among residents in urban, rural and semi-urban Nigeria. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL and Embase databases and Google Scholar for studies published between January 2001 and December 2023 reporting the prevalence of dental caries in Nigeria. The review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022362019) and conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Data extracted included study design, sample size, age of participants, and study location. Study quality and risk of bias were assessed. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to estimate pooled prevalence. Results: A total of 1,010 records were identified, of which 52 studies were included in the systematic review and 35 were eligible for meta-analysis. Most studies were conducted in Southwestern Nigeria. The overall pooled prevalence of dental caries in Nigeria was 17% (95% CI: 14%-21%; I² = 97%). The pooled prevalence was 16% (95% CI: 10%-24%; I² = 98%) in primary dentition, 16% (95% CI: 11%-23%; I² = 97%) in mixed dentition, and 20% (95% CI: 16%-26%; I² = 96%) in permanent dentition. By setting, the pooled prevalence was 22% (95% CI: 7%-52%; I² = 98%) in rural areas, 17% (95% CI: 14%-22%; I² = 97%) in semi-urban areas, and 14% (95% CI: 6%-29%; I² = 98%) in urban areas. Substantial heterogeneity was observed across studies. Conclusion: Dental caries remains a significant public health concern in Nigeria, affecting approximately one in five individuals. Although variations were observed across dentition types and geographic settings, substantial heterogeneity indicates diverse epidemiological contexts across the country. Strengthened preventive strategies and improved access to oral healthcare services are needed to address the burden of dental caries nationwide. (Copyright: © 2026 Akinsolu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.) |
| Competing Interests: | The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. |
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| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260601 Date Completed: 20260601 Latest Revision: 20260813 |
| Update Code: | 20260813 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC13225390 |
| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0349112 |
| PMID: | 42224256 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1932-6203 |
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| DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0349112 |