en Dentistry Dentistry Meta-analysis Article <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">Background: </span></span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">The prevalence of dental caries among the elderly is high worldwide, and dental caries cause the major burden of oral diseases. This meta-analysis aimed to determine the dental caries experience among the elderly in Iran.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Methods: </b>A systematic review of the published and grey literature on Iranians aged 65 years or older was performed. Six international and local databases provided the most comprehensive population-based studies. National oral health surveys and national disease and health surveys were considered other primary data sources. The quality of remained studies was assessed by a modified tool designed based on the STROBE statement checklist to evaluate the cross-sectional studies. R Version 3.6.0 was used for statistical analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran&rsquo;s Q and F statistics. Subgroup analysis was performed to detect the source of heterogeneity. Funnel plots and Egger&rsquo;s regression intercept test were used to assess publication bias and selective reporting. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Results: </b>Overall, 3099 sources were found. After excluding ineligible studies, 46 data points with 10411 people &ge;65 years were included in the meta-analysis. The mean pooled decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) among older people was 26.84 (range, 26.41-27.28). The DMFT was 26.78 (range, 26.12-27.43) in women and 26.91 (range, 26.32-27.50) in men. The mean number of decayed teeth was 1.48 (range, 1.32-1.65). The mean pooled missing teeth was 24.83 (range, 24.20-25.46), and the mean pooled filled teeth was 0.14 (range, 0.12-0.17). The majority (92%) of the DMFT was related to missing teeth.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal">&nbsp;&nbsp; <b>Conclusion:</b> Iranian elderly have almost 5 sound teeth in their mouth on average. The Iranian oral health policymakers should address this considerable burden of dental caries in designing and implementing better oral health policies for the population, especially older Iranian adults.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:13pt"><span style="text-justify:kashida"><span style="text-kashida:0%"><span style="text-autospace:none"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-style:normal"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Aged, Dental Caries, DMFT Index, Iran, Meta-analysis 57 67 http://mjiri.iums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-8229-1&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Shervan Shoaee shervanoo@yahoo.com 200319475328460088790 200319475328460088790 No Elderly Health Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, & Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, & Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Farshad Sharifi farshad.sharifi@gmail.com 200319475328460088791 200319475328460088791 No Elderly Health Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, & Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinical Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Pooneh Ghavidel-Parsa pooneh.gil@gmail.com 200319475328460088792 200319475328460088792 No Guilan Rheumatology Research Center, Department of Rheumatology, Razi Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran Shayan Sobhaninejad shsnd76@gmail.com 200319475328460088793 200319475328460088793 No Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Mohammad-Hossein Heydari mohmmadhossein.heydari@gmail.com 200319475328460088794 200319475328460088794 No Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran Ahamd Sofi-Mahmudi sofimahmudi@research.ac.ir 200319475328460088795 200319475328460088795 Yes Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Endocrinology and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, & Cochrane Iran Associate Centre, National Institute for Medical Research Development (NIMAD), Tehran, Iran