Dental caries in individuals with Down syndrome: a systematic review

Background Many studies have shown a lower experience of caries in people with Down syndrome compared to individuals without Down syndrome, but this issue has not been critically evaluated. Aim To conduct a systematic review of the international literature on dental caries experience in people with Down syndrome. Design Three online databases (PubMed, LILACS, and Cochrane) were used to identify relevant studies on caries experience in people with Down syndrome published until May 2015. PICO (Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison group, and Outcome) criteria were used to screen studies by title and abstract. An assessment of the methodological study quality was performed according to the modified Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results The search resulted in 226 studies. Thirteen publications were included in the systematic review. Ten studies reported results of lower caries experience in individuals with Down syndrome in at least one age group studied. Three studies reported no differences in caries experience among the groups. All studies, however, included in this systematic review had limitations that increased the likelihood of bias in the study results. Conclusion There is no scientific evidence to support the hypothesis that people with Down syndrome have a lower experience of caries than non-syndromic individuals.