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The oral health status of Syrian refugee children in Jordan: An exploratory study
Author(s) -
Makan Rima,
Gara Mohammad,
Awwad Motasum Abu,
Hassona Yazan
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/scd.12377
Subject(s) - medicine , gingivitis , refugee , syrian refugees , dentistry , oral health , oral hygiene , dental care , family medicine , archaeology , history
Objectives To examine the oral health status and dental treatment needs of children Syrian refugees in Jordan. Methods A convenience sample of Syrian refugee children who aged between 6 and 12 years at al‐Zaatari camp was used for the purpose of this study. Examination was performed according to the method proposed by WHO. DMFT and gingival indices were examined and reported by a trained dentist. Results A total of 125 children were examined. The mean DMFT score was 3.64 ± 9.83, and the mean dmft score was 2.98 ± 4.7. More than half of children (50.4%) were found to have high caries risk according to CAMBRA scale. Most of the DMFT score was contributed by decayed and missing teeth. Nearly, half of children (44.8%) showed fluorosis and almost all children had chronic gingivitis. More than half of the participants (55.2%) reported that they needed dental treatment during their stay at the camp, but only half (52%) received treatment mainly tooth extraction and prescription of medication. Only 6.4% of children received conservative dental treatment. Conclusion Syrian refugee children in Jordan were found to have high levels of unmet dental needs. Accessibility of dental services was found to be a primary barrier to care.