Question · asked by 1 review

Fluoride mouthwash vs Blank control: Cariogenic bacteria (Lactobacilli colony count)

Population
Orthodontic patients (any age) undergoing orthodontic treatment (mostly fixed appliances)
Intervention
Fluoride mouthwash
Comparison
Blank control
Outcome
Cariogenic bacteria (Lactobacilli colony count)

Long-term (>=12 months) fluoride mouthwash may make little or no difference to Lactobacilli colony counts versus blank control (very low certainty).

What each review found

Include earlier review versions
FindingEffectStudiesGRADE certainty
Fluoride mouthwash (e.g., NaF / amine fluoride) vs Blank control (no mouthwash; before-after comparison)
Cariogenic bacteria (Lactobacilli colony count) · Orthodontic patients (any age) undergoing orthodontic treatment (mostly fixed appliances) · >=12 months (long-term), Orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment (randomized controlled trials; multiple countries)
Long-term (>=12 months) fluoride mouthwash may make little or no difference to Lactobacilli colony counts versus blank control (very low certainty).
The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic… (2023) All outcomes
Colony count of LB was similar to blank control according to two studies [37, 59].2 studiesVery low

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

The reviews

ReviewSearched up toIncluded studiesAMSTAR 2
The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment: a systematic review and…
2023 All outcomes
16 April 2022 (databases and grey literature searched by 16 April 2022; no publication-year limit)47Low / Moderate
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.