Oral Health Status of Syrian Children in the Refugee Center of Melilla, Spain.

Introduction: Little is known about the state of oral health among immigrants from conflict zones, such as the refugee children from the Syrian Civil War.

Aim: To determine the oral health status of Syrian immigrant children refugee at the Center for Temporary Stay of Immigrants in Melilla to plan prevention and care programs.

Design: Using the criteria set by the World Health Organization, an exploration of the oral cavity of all Syrian children aged 5-13 living at that center was conducted in May 2015. All subjects were clinically evaluated by a calibrated and standardized examiner, accompanied by a dentist who registered the clinical variables, and translators. The sociodemographic and clinical variables were analyzed through a descriptive and analytical study, respectively.

Results: The prevalence of caries in both the permanent and deciduous dentition was 75% and 50% in 6- and 12-year-olds, respectively. The dft was 3.2 ± 2.9 in 6-year-old children. At 12 years old, the DMFT was 1.6 ± 2.6 teeth, the DMFM was 1.1 ± 1.7 teeth, the SiC was 3.2, and the IR was 5%. Eighty-six percent of the examined sextants were periodontally healthy.

Conclusions: The prevalence of caries was high in the sample population studied, confirming the need for a comprehensive primary oral health care program.