ArticleChildren (Basel, Switzerland)2026
Impact of Health System Structures on Caries Prevalence Among Schoolchildren in Germany and Saudi Arabia.
Article in Children (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND
objectivesDental caries remains one of the most prevalent chronic conditions among children worldwide, with considerable variation in burden shaped by differences in health-system organization and preventive program implementation. Some countries have reported notable progress through coordinated school-based programs and supportive policy environments, while others continue to face challenges despite extensive public health efforts. This study aims to explore how selected structural and programmatic elements within national health systems may be associated with childhood caries outcomes, using Germany and Saudi Arabia as illustrative contexts. MATERIALS AND
methodsA descriptive comparative secondary-data analysis combined with legal and policy mapping was conducted using published national oral health surveys, systematic reviews, and governmental reports. Caries indicators (dmft/DMFT) for children aged 6-7 and 12 years were extracted following WHO criteria. Health system organization, preventive program coverage, and policy enforcement mechanisms were mapped and critically reviewed. No new primary data were collected, and no inferential modeling was performed.
resultsGermany has achieved substantial reductions in childhood caries prevalence through a legally mandated school-based prevention program, supported by individual prophylaxis covered by health insurance. This framework corresponds with low mean dmft (1.73) among 6-7-year-olds and mean DMFT (0.5) among 12-year-olds. By contrast, Saudi Arabia continues to report elevated caries rates despite substantial public-health investments, with mean dmft (5.0) and mean DMFT (3.5), with over 90% of children affected. Preventive initiatives in Saudi Arabia remain fragmented across sectors and lack a unified legal mandate.
conclusionsThe findings suggest that structured governance, coordinated prevention strategies, and reliable monitoring systems may be associated with more favorable oral health outcomes. In the context of Saudi Arabia, the persistently high caries burden suggests that strengthening national legislation, implementing an interoperable digital surveillance system, and improving the consistency of school-based preventive programs could support more equitable and effective oral health delivery.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
Registered trials
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.