Background Dental caries is the main problem oral health and it is not well established in
the literature if the enamel defects are a risk factor for its development. Objective Studies
have reported a potential association between developmental defects enamel (DDE) and
dental caries occurrence. We investigated the association between DDE and caries in
permanent dentition of children and teenagers. Data sources A systematic review was
carried out using four databases (Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and Science Direct) …

Results Nine papers were included in the systematic review with seven contributing to meta-
analysis. A positive association between developmental defects of enamel and permanent
dentition caries experience was identified in six studies. The pooled effect obtained with the
random model was 2.21 (95% CI 1.39; 3.54). Conclusions The results demonstrate a
positive association between caries experience and enamel defects, which could be
considered a potential predictor for dental caries. However, the only study design type …