Oral health-related conditions in Ecuador: A temporal trend analysis of hospital discharges from 2000-2023.

Background: Monitoring hospitalization rates associated with oral health conditions is an important part of epidemiological surveillance, especially when these conditions have increased significantly in low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to evaluate the temporal trends in hospital discharges associated with oral health-related conditions in Ecuador from 2000 to 2023 and identify the leading diagnoses groups.

Methods: An ecological time-series study was conducted based on annual data from the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses of Ecuador.