December 20, 2004
Many dentists and physicians have noticed firsthand that children from developing nations often have major unmet dental needs when they immigrate to the United States. Yet, little data exist on what these needs typically are. Recently, a team of NIDCR grantees and colleagues published in the journal Pediatrics a much-needed survey of the prevalence of dental caries in over 200 newly arrived immigrant children from Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. The children, who ranged in age from six months to 18 years old, were examined as a part of the Refugee Health Assessment Program of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.