Education, Science, Technology, Innovation and Life
Open Access
Sign In
  1. Home
  2. Journals
  3. MEDS Public Health and Preventive Medicine
  4. Vol 6, Issue 1, 2026

A Comprehensive Review of the Classification, Epidemiological Characteristics, and Health Burdens of Common Pediatric Oral Diseases

Download as PDF

DOI: 10.23977/phpm.2026.060114 | Downloads: 0 | Views: 23

Author(s)

Ren Yu 1

Affiliation(s)

1 Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730000, China

Corresponding Author

Ren Yu

ABSTRACT

Pediatric oral diseases represent a significant global public health concern in child health, encompassing a wide spectrum of conditions including dental caries, gingivitis, oral mucosal lesions, and oral manifestations associated with systemic diseases. These conditions profoundly impair children's physical development and quality of life. Despite the growing body of research, a systematic synthesis of their classification framework, epidemiological characteristics, and comprehensive health burdens remains insufficient. This review integrates the latest epidemiological data and clinical evidence to systematically delineate the major categories of pediatric oral diseases, their incidence, and associated risk factors, with a particular focus on the multidimensional impacts of these diseases on children's physical, psychological, and social functioning. The critical role of early diagnosis and integrated management in prevention and control is emphasized. The aim is to provide clinicians, public health practitioners, and researchers with a scientific evidence base and practical guidance, thereby facilitating the improvement of children's oral health and the refinement of relevant public health strategies.

KEYWORDS

Pediatric oral diseases; Dental caries; Gingivitis; Oral mucosal lesions; Epidemiology; Health burdens

CITE THIS PAPER

Ren Yu. A Comprehensive Review of the Classification, Epidemiological Characteristics, and Health Burdens of Common Pediatric Oral Diseases. MEDS Public Health and Preventive Medicine (2026). Vol. 6, No.1, 110-121. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/phpm.2026.060114.

REFERENCES

[1] Sadida ZJ, Indriyanti R, Setiawan AS. (2022) Does growth stunting correlate with oral health in children?: a systematic review. European Journal of Dentistry, 16, 32-40.
[2] Tjandrawinata RR, Amalia N, Tandi YYP, et al. (2025) The forgotten link: how the oral microbiome shapes childhood growth and development. Frontiers in Oral Health, 6, 1547099.
[3] Rahmani P, Rasti G, Gorgi M, Motamed F, Sharifi P. (2022) Extraintestinal manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease and associated factors in pediatric patients. Annals of Medicine and Surgery (London), 75, 103363.
[4] Torrecillas-Quiles L, Gómez-Ríos I, Jiménez-García I, Serrano-Belmonte I, Ortiz-Ruiz AJ, Serna-Muñoz C. (2025) Oral and dental sequelae after oncological treatment in children: a systematic review. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 14, 5479.
[5] Tetteh J, Adomako I, Udofia EA, et al. (2022) Hygienic disposal of stools and risk of diarrheal episodes among children aged under two years: evidence from the Ghana Demographic Health Survey, 2003-2014. PLoS One, 17, e0266681.
[6] GBD 2021 Diarrhoeal Diseases Collaborators. (2025) Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific burden of diarrhoeal diseases, their risk factors, and aetiologies, 1990-2021, for 204 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet Infectious Diseases, 25, 519-536.
[7] Almugairin S, Alwably A, Alayed N, et al. (2025) Parental knowledge, awareness, and attitudes towards children's oral habits: a descriptive cross-sectional study. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica, 84, 65-75.
[8] Taylor C, Badawi N, Novak I, Foster J. (2025) Caregivers' experiences of feeding children with cerebral palsy: a systematic review of qualitative evidence. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 23, 704-755.
[9] Nasiri K, Tehrani S, Mohammadikhah M, et al. (2023) Oral manifestations of COVID-19 and its management in pediatric patients: a systematic review and practical guideline. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research, 9, 922-934.
[10] Wolf J, Kist LF, Pereira SB, et al. (2024) Human papillomavirus infection: epidemiology, biology, host interactions, cancer development, prevention, and therapeutics. Reviews in Medical Virology, 34, e2537.
[11] Kumar CM, Swarnim S. (2024) Dental caries in children: an update. Indian Pediatrics, 61, 281-284.
[12] Oliveros-Villarico M, Flores KKR, de Guzman JCZ, Manrique ALV, Millo GA, Estrera KRP. (2023) Pediatrician knowledge, attitude and practices on children's oral health in a tertiary public hospital in the Philippines: a descriptive study. Acta Medica Philippina, 57, 56-63.
[13] Liu Y, Zhu J, Zhang H, et al. (2024) Dental caries status and related factors among 5-year-old children in Shanghai. BMC Oral Health, 24, 459.
[14] Okolo CC, Oredugba FA, Denloye OO, Adeyemo YI. (2022) Dental caries, traumatic dental injuries and gingivitis among street-children in Kano, Nigeria. West African Journal of Medicine, 39, 1040-1044.
[15] Jindal L, Dua P, Mangla R, Gupta K, Vyas D, Gupta P. (2020) Dental caries in relation to socioeconomic factors of 6 and 12-year-old schoolchildren of Paonta Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India: an epidemiological study. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 13, 395-398.
[16] Dieng SN, Kanouté A, Azogui-Levy S, Lombrail P. (2023) Determinants of maternal and household social inequalities of dental caries among Senegalese children in the Department of Pikine. Pan African Medical Journal, 44, 23.
[17] Rai A, Sundas S, Dhakal N, Khapung A. (2024) Assessment of dental caries based on ICDAS and WHO criteria: a comparative study. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 34, 77-84.
[18] Tanner L, Craig D, Holmes R, Catinella L, Moynihan P. (2022) Does dental caries increase risk of undernutrition in children? JDR Clinical and Translational Research, 7, 104-117.
[19] Rajab LD, Abdullah RB. (2020) Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of preschool children and families in Amman, Jordan. Oral Health and Preventive Dentistry, 18, 571-582.
[20] Priyadarshini P, Gurunathan D. (2020) Role of diet in ECC affected South Indian children assessed by the HEI-2005: a pilot study. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 9, 985-991.
[21] Qudeimat MA, Alyahya A, Karched M, Behbehani J, Salako NO. (2021) Dental plaque microbiota profiles of children with caries-free and caries-active dentition. Journal of Dentistry, 104, 103539.
[22] Zhang H, Zheng X, Huang Y, et al. (2025) Novel potential biomarkers for predicting childhood caries via metagenomic analysis. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 15, 1522970.
[23] Lee E, Park S, Um S, et al. (2021) Microbiome of saliva and plaque in children according to age and dental caries experience. Diagnostics (Basel), 11, 1324.
[24] Krol DM, Whelan K. (2023) Maintaining and improving the oral health of young children. Pediatrics, 151, e2022060417.
[25] Chou R, Bougatsos C, Griffin J, et al. (2023) Screening, referral, behavioral counseling, and preventive interventions for oral health in children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 years: a systematic review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA, 330, 1674-1686.
[26] Zhang W, Xie QY, Huang S, Chu CH, Lo ECM. (2025) Changes in oral microbiome in preschool children after using toothpaste with different fluoride concentrations. Journal of Dentistry, 161, 105941.
[27] Sharma V, Crowe M, Cassetti O, Winning L, O'Sullivan A, O'Sullivan M. (2024) Dental caries in children in Ireland: a systematic review. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 52, 24-38.
[28] Tobias G, Khaimov A, Zini A, et al. (2024) Caries prevalence and water fluoridation in Israel: a cross-sectional study. Quintessence International, 55, 166-172.
[29] Pontigo-Loyola AP, Mendoza-Rodriguez M, de la Rosa-Santillana R, et al. (2024) Control of dental caries in children and adolescents using fluoride: an overview of community-level fluoridation methods. Pediatric Reports, 16, 243-253.
[30] Alkilzy M, Schmoeckel J, Schwahn C, et al. (2022) Multicenter RCT on intensive caries prevention for children undergoing dental general anaesthesia. Journal of Dentistry, 118, 104057.
[31] Wu FY, Liu JF. (2019) Asthma medication increases dental caries among children in Taiwan: an analysis using the National Health Insurance Research Database. Journal of Dental Sciences, 14, 413-418.
[32] Al-Dlaigan YH, Al-Dabaan RA. (2024) Dental health status of children with diabetes in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Dental Journal, 36, 926-931.
[33] Talekar AL, Musale PK, Kothare SS. (2022) Dental caries and dental anomalies in children undergoing chemotherapy for malignant diseases. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 15, 428-432.
[34] Chen R, Schneuer FJ, Irving MJ, et al. (2022) Socio-demographic and familial factors associated with hospital admissions and repeat admission for dental caries in early childhood: a population-based study. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 50, 539-547.
[35] Lambrou P, Kalfas S, Arhakis A. (2024) Gingival thickness and gingival width in children: a cross-sectional study utilizing ultrasonography. European Archives of Paediatric Dentistry, 25, 217-225.
[36] Olczak-Kowalczyk D, Turska-Szybka A, Studnicki M, Piekoszewska-Ziętek P. (2024) Gingivitis and its causes in children aged 3-7 years. Diagnostics (Basel), 14, 2690.
[37] Yakubova II, Tsypan S, Zhdanova T, Potapenko O, Viun G. (2023) Prevalence of gingivitis in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Wiadomosci Lekarskie, 76, 84-89.
[38] Keles S, Anik A, Cevik O, Abas BI, Anik A. (2020) Gingival crevicular fluid levels of interleukin-18 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in type 1 diabetic children with gingivitis. Clinical Oral Investigations, 24, 3623-3631.
[39] Jensen ED, Selway CA, Allen G, et al. (2021) Early markers of periodontal disease and altered oral microbiota are associated with glycemic control in children with type 1 diabetes. Pediatric Diabetes, 22, 474-481.
[40] Parihar AS, Baheti A, Sugandhi C, Kumar A, Krishna S, Laddha R. (2025) Periodontal status and oral health-related quality of life in children with Down syndrome. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 17, S2196-S2198.
[41] Fan W, Liu C, Zhang Y, Yang Z, Li J, Huang S. (2021) Epidemiology and associated factors of gingivitis in adolescents in Guangdong Province, Southern China: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health, 21, 311.
[42] Liu X, Xu J, Li S, Wang X, Liu J, Li X. (2022) The prevalence of gingivitis and related risk factors in schoolchildren aged 6-12 years old. BMC Oral Health, 22, 623.
[43] Blufstein A, Pejcic N, Spettel K, et al. (2024) Salivary microbiome and MRP-8/14 levels in children with gingivitis, healthy children, and their mothers. Journal of Periodontology, 95, 1035-1047.
[44] Marchetti E, Pizzolante T, Americo LM, Bizzarro S, Quinzi V, Mummolo S. (2022) Periodontology part 4: periodontal disease in children and adolescents. European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 23, 332-335.
[45] Guillouet C, Riou MC, Duong LT, de La Dure-Molla M, Fournier BPJ. (2022) Oral lesions of viral, bacterial, and fungal diseases in children: a decision tree. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 10, 937808.
[46] Lauritano D, Moreo G, Oberti L, et al. (2020) Oral manifestations in HIV-positive children: a systematic review. Pathogens, 9, 88.
[47] Viganò C, Laffusa A, Pirola L, et al. (2025) Extra-intestinal manifestations in inflammatory bowel disease: a comparative review of pediatric and adult-onset disease. Expert Review of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 19, 1133-1147.
[48] Chen Y, Jiang Z, Liu L, et al. (2025) Global and regional burden and inequalities of oral conditions in children, adolescents, and young adults (0-39 years), 1990 to 2021. PLOS Global Public Health, 5, e0005274.
[49] Zhang T, Zhang Q, Peng Y, et al. (2022) Retrospective summary analysis on the results of oral health epidemiological investigations in China. Journal of Oral Biology and Craniofacial Research, 12, 809-817.
[50] Foley MA, Sexton C, Spencer AJ, Lalloo R, Do LG. (2022) Water fluoridation, dental caries and parental ratings of child oral health. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 50, 493-499.
[51] Kandahari N, Moulana Zada F, Farzal Z. (2025) The oral health disparity among refugee children: a systematic review. Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, 10, e70194.
[52] Yadav SP, Meghpara M, Marwah N, Nigam AG, Godhani S, Chalana S. (2022) Association of early childhood caries with feeding, dietary habits, and oral hygiene practices among rural and urban school children of Jaipur. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 15, 273-279.
[53] Elgasmi FE, Maghous K, Badre B. (2025) Gingivitis in children and adolescents: epidemiological overview and associated factors – a narrative review. Frontiers in Oral Health, 6, 1675033.
[54] Pan Y, Gui Z, Lyu J, Huang J. (2024) The prevalence of malocclusion and oral health-related quality of life among 12- and 15-year-old schoolchildren in Shanghai, China: a cross-sectional study. BMC Oral Health, 24, 1315.
[55] Al Anouti F, Abboud M, Papandreou D, Haidar S, Mahboub N, Rizk R. (2021) Oral health of children and adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a systematic review of the past decade. Frontiers in Oral Health, 2, 744328.
[56] Wang Y, Zeng X, Yang X, et al. (2021) Oral health, caries risk profiles, and oral microbiome of pediatric patients with leukemia submitted to chemotherapy. BioMed Research International, 2021, 6637503.
[57] de Farias Gabriel A, Silveira FM, Curra M, et al. (2022) Risk factors associated with the development of oral mucositis in pediatric oncology patients: systematic review and meta-analysis. Oral Diseases, 28, 1068-1084.
[58] Abduweli Uyghurturk D, Lu Y, Urata J, C Dvorak C, Den Besten P. (2022) Dental caries as a risk factor for bacterial blood stream infection (BSI) in children undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). PeerJ, 10, e14040.
[59] Sarvas E, Webb J, Landrigan-Ossar M, et al. (2024) Oral health care for children and youth with developmental disabilities: clinical report. Pediatrics, 154, e2024067603.
[60] Yildiz M, Haslak F, Adrovic A, et al. (2021) Pediatric Behçet's disease. Frontiers in Medicine (Lausanne), 8, 627192.
[61] Cazzolla AP, Cosola MD, Ballini A, et al. (2021) The association between nutritional alterations and oral lesions in a pediatric population: an epidemiological study. BioMed Research International, 2021, 9992451.
[62] Skandrani A, El Osta N, Pichot H, Eschevins C, Pereira B, Tubert-Jeannin S. (2022) Validation of the French version of COHIP-SF-19 among 12-years children in New Caledonia. BMC Oral Health, 22, 358.
[63] Velan E, Sheller B. (2021) Oral health in children with chronic kidney disease. Pediatric Nephrology, 36, 3067-3075.
[64] Kim S, Kim SY. (2024) Effectiveness of school-based oral health education for children and adolescents in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health, 36, 312-321.
[65] Han SY, Chang CL, Wang YL, et al. (2025) A narrative review on advancing pediatric oral health: comprehensive strategies for the prevention and management of dental challenges in children. Children (Basel), 12, 286.
[66] Saraç F, Derelioğlu SŞ, Şengül F, Laloğlu F, Ceviz N. (2023) The evaluation of oral health condition and oral and dental care in children with congenital heart disease. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12, 3674.
[67] Santos PSDS, Granzotto FCN, Antunes HS, et al. (2023) Dentistry consensus on HSCT – part III: special topics – dentistry on HSCT. Hematology, Transfusion and Cell Therapy, 45, 379-386.
[68] Tuli S, Goswami M, Saxena A, Bhatara S, Saxena B, Gogoi R. (2024) Challenges faced by dentists during provision of oral health care in children and adolescents with special health-care needs: a scoping review. Journal of Indian Society of Pedodontics and Preventive Dentistry, 42, 167-175.
[69] Fatih MT, Mahmood MK, Kurda HA, et al. (2025) Pediatric liquid medications and dental caries: a narrative review. Health Science Reports, 8, e71115.

Subscription
E-Mail Alert
Most popular papers
Call for Special Issue
Publication Ethics & OA Statement
Plagiarism Policy
Contact Us
Downloads: 5786
Visits: 442400

Sponsors, Associates, and Links

All published work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2016 - 2031 Clausius Scientific Press Inc. All Rights Reserved.