Question · asked by 1 review

Living with HIV and undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals: Dental caries severity (dmfs index, primary dentition)

Population
Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH)
Intervention
Living with HIV and undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART)
Comparison
HIV-negative individuals
Outcome
Dental caries severity (dmfs index, primary dentition)

In case-control studies, HIV+ children on ART had a significantly higher dmfs index than HIV-negative peers (MD 5.15, 95% CI 2.20 to 8.11; not separately GRADE-rated).

What each review found

Include earlier review versions
No studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 2 · 100%Very low 0 · 0%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%
FindingEffectStudiesGRADE certainty
HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals
Dental caries severity (dmfs index, primary dentition) · Children and adolescents under 18 years with HIV · Not specified (case-control), Dental examination of children/adolescents with HIV in clinic and community settings; low- and middle-income countries (Brazil, India, Nigeria, Cambodia, Uganda, West Africa), Case-control studies; dmfs index
In case-control studies, HIV+ children on ART had a significantly higher dmfs index than HIV-negative peers (MD 5.15, 95% CI 2.20 to 8.11; not separately GRADE-rated).
Association between antiretroviral therapy and dental caries in children and adolescents with HIV: a… (2025) All outcomes
MD 5.15 [2.20, 8.11]2 studies · 185 participantsGRADE not reported
HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals
Dental caries severity (dmfs index, primary dentition) · Children and adolescents under 18 years with HIV · Not specified (cross-sectional), Dental examination of children/adolescents with HIV in clinic and community settings; low- and middle-income countries (Brazil, India, Nigeria, Cambodia, Uganda, West Africa), Cross-sectional studies; dmfs index
In cross-sectional studies, HIV+ children on ART had a significantly higher dmfs index than HIV-negative peers (MD 4.00, 95% CI 2.64 to 5.36; not separately GRADE-rated).
Association between antiretroviral therapy and dental caries in children and adolescents with HIV: a… (2025) All outcomes
MD 4.00 [2.64, 5.36]1 study · 564 participantsGRADE not reported

Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.

The reviews

ReviewSearched up toIncluded studiesAMSTAR 2
Association between antiretroviral therapy and dental caries in children and adolescents with HIV: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
2025 All outcomes
Inception to October 2024 (LILACS expanded search updated February 2025)17Not applicable
How reviews are matched to this question

Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.