[Dental caries among 15-year-old adolescents in Arctic Russia: a systematic review and meta-analysis].

Objective: The aim of the study is to perform a systematic search, qualitative synthesis, and a meta-analysis of scientific publications on the prevalence and experience of dental caries among 15-year-old adolescents in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

Materials and methods: A systematic review based on PRISMA guidelines. The review includes sources that describe the prevalence and intensity of caries in 15-year-old adolescents within the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Publications from 1998-2023 in English and Russian were searched for using the PubMed and eLIBRARY platforms. In total, 208 publications identified, but only 4 were included in meta-analysis.

Results: The total number of adolescents in the studies included in the review was 1567 with a significant proportion being residents of the Arkhangelsk region. The weighted prevalence of caries was 87.9% (95% CI: 83.7-91.7%). The statistically significant increase was registered only in the city of Norilsk. In Arkhangelsk, the increase in the prevalence of caries was accompanied by a decrease in the activity of the carious process, which was due to a significant decrease in the K component in the structure of the DMFT index.

Conclusion: The review provides the evidence on a high prevalence of caries among 15-year-old adolescents in Arctic Russia. Further research of the dental status of adolescents is warranted as well as the development of effective preventive measures on individual and population levels.