Developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the primary dentition: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the association between developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the primary dentition.

SOURCES: Electronic searches were performed in PubMed, Web of Knowledge, Scopus and Scielo for the identification of relevant studies.

STUDY SELECTION: Observational studies that examined the association between developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the deciduous dentition were included. Additionally, meta-analysis, funnel plots and sensitivity analysis were employed to synthesize the available evidence. Multivariable meta-regression analysis was performed to explore heterogeneity among studies.

DATA: A total of 318 articles were identified in the electronic searches. Of those, 16 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Pooled estimates revealed that children with developmental defects of enamel had higher odds of having dental caries (OR 3.32; 95%CI 2.41-4.57), with high heterogeneity between studies (I2 80%). Methodological characteristic of the studies, such as where it was conducted, the examined teeth and the quality of the study explained about 30% of the variability. Concerning type of defect, children with hypoplasia and diffuse opacities had higher odds of having dental caries (OR 4.28; 95%CI 2.24-8.15; OR1.42; 95%CI 1.15-1.76, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates a clear association between developmental defects of enamel and dental caries in the primary dentition.