Evidence mapPaperPMID 40025488Full record

ArticleBMC oral health2025

Utilization of caries risk assessment tools within the underserved population: a scoping review.

Mariam Park, Foram Patel, Maria Jacinta Santos, Svetlana Tikhonova, Alexia Athanasakos, Abbas Jessani

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mariam ParkDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Foram PatelDepartment of Dentistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Maria Jacinta SantosDepartment of Dentistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Svetlana TikhonovaFaculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Alexia AthanasakosDepartment of Dentistry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada.
Abbas JessaniDepartment of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada. abbas.jessani@schulich.uwo.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesCaries Risk Assessment (CRA) tools can be utilised to assess caries risk levels within underserved individuals to provide risk-based caries management. With no previous review mapping the evidence of CRA tools in underserved populations, a scoping review was conducted to provide a comprehensive view of the current literature and the utilisation of CRA tools in underserved populations. The main objectives of this review are as follows: (1) to comprehensively review CRA tools utilised, and (2) to highlight the important findings indicating the oral health status of underserved population subgroups.

methodsA systematic search was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Dissertations & Theses Global (ProQuest). All relevant English-language papers published between January 2004 to June 2024 were identified. Retrieved references were imported and underwent 2-stage screening. The type of CRA tool was extracted as the primary outcome and oral health status of underserved subgroups were extracted as the secondary outcome.

resultsA total of 26 studies and nine different CRA tools were identified. Included studies examined caries risk in low-income families, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, refugees, veterans, and rural communities. Most studies indicated moderate to high caries risk and significant unmet oral health needs in underserved populations.

conclusionsThe underserved populations experience elevated caries risk and poor oral health status that require the attention of policymakers and practitioners. Significant heterogeneity across the utilised CRA tools was identified. Future research focusing on developing a standardised and appropriately validated CRA tool that can be utilised is necessary.

Indexed as

Dental CariesVulnerable PopulationsHumansOral HealthRisk AssessmentCaries risk assessmentDental researchPreventive dentistryPublic health dentistryUnderserved population

Identifiers

PMID40025488
PMCPMC11872313

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.