Early childhood caries experience (mean dmft) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years)
Mean dmft was lowest (1.62 teeth) in low-inequality countries by Gini index.
16 findings from 1 review
Show 13 more findings
MEAN 3.34 [1.79, 4.88]
13 studies
GRADE not reported
MEAN 4.64 [3.38, 5.91]
19 studies
GRADE not reported
MEAN 3.87 [2.84, 4.91]
30 studies
GRADE not reported
MEAN 3.89 [1.62, 6.16]
7 studies
GRADE not reported
MEAN 4.04 [2.39, 5.68]
9 studies
GRADE not reported
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. 2024 All outcomesCountries with 71-75 years life expectancy · Life expectancy: 71-75 years
MEAN 5.18
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
MEAN 4.28 [2.58, 5.97]
10 studies
GRADE not reported
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. 2024 All outcomesCountries with no income inequality (Gini) · Gini index: no inequalities
MEAN 3.95
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
MEAN 3.08 [2.42, 3.74]
3 studies
GRADE not reported
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. 2024 All outcomes49 countries worldwide; urban and rural communities · Overall (all regions)
MEAN 3.68 [2.99, 4.37]
60 studies
GRADE not reported
MEAN 1.13 [0.72, 1.55]
9 studies
GRADE not reported
MEAN 2.26 [0.69, 3.82]
11 studies
GRADE not reported
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. 2024 All outcomesCountries with highest life expectancy (>80 years) · Life expectancy: >80 years
MEAN 1.34
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Mother self-reported oral health behaviours · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
1 finding from 1 review
Intervention not reported
Pit-and-fissure caries progression (ICDAS), CO2 laser vs fluoride varnish alone
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
1 study
GRADE not reported
Caries arrestment at the tooth level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)
In one trial, SDF increased tooth-level caries arrestment versus 5% sodium fluoride varnish (OR 4.75; ungraded subgroup).
1 finding from 1 review
Enamel remineralization extent · Human enamel specimens around orthodontic brackets (in vitro)
In vitro, n-ACP-containing orthodontic adhesives showed significant enamel remineralization versus control in both studies, but evidence is weak (only 2 studies; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Dental caries in children · Infants and children (aged about 2 to 8 years) whose mothers' vitamin D status was assessed during pregnancy
For prenatal vitamin D measured across gestational weeks 6-38, the OR of dental caries was 1.32 (no CI reported); ungraded.
3 findings from 1 review
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure
Hemostasis within 6 min gave the highest success (90.4%), but the difference across hemostasis-time groups was not significant (ungraded).
13 findings from 1 review
Show 10 more findings
Proportion 0.856
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Proportion 0.862
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Proportion 0.824 [0.746, 0.890]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Proportion 0.909 [0.833, 0.965]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Proportion 0.882
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Proportion 0.867 [0.820, 0.907]
25 studies · 2012 participants
Very low
Proportion 0.902
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Proportion 0.838 [0.759, 0.904]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Proportion 0.872 [0.803, 0.929]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Proportion 0.859
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Fluorosis (percentage prevalence in permanent teeth) · Children exposed to topical fluoride when under 6 years old; fluorosis assessed in permanent teeth at 6 to 18 years
Brushed less than once per day may leads to lower fluorosis (percentage prevalence in permanent teeth) compared with brushed once or more per day (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Child dental attendance · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
1 finding from 1 review
Plutzer 2008 reported dental attendance as cumulative child-visit categories (other data): intervention children more likely to have 1-2 visits, no difference for 3-4 visits, less likely for >=5 visits.
1 study
GRADE not reported
Secondary prevention of caries · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries presence in primary teeth · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
Advice about a healthy diet (including breastfeeding promotion and… probably leads to lower caries presence in primary teeth compared with standard care (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Enamel remineralization / anti-demineralization extent · Human enamel specimens around orthodontic brackets (in vitro)
In vitro, most bioactive glass-containing orthodontic adhesives (9 of 13 studies) showed significant enamel remineralization/anti-demineralization versus control, but the evidence is weak (predominantly high risk of bias, methodological heterogeneity, no meta-analysis; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Out of 13 studies that evaluated bioactive glass particles/nanoparticles, 9 reported definitive statistically significant remineralization potential compared to control orthodontic adhesives [17, 21-24, 26-28, 31]; one…
13 studies
GRADE not reported
Periodontal parameters (all measures pooled) in OC cases vs controls · Adults in case-control studies (oral cancer patients vs healthy controls)
Pooling all periodontal measures, oral cancer patients had worse periodontal status than controls (SMD 0.95, 95% CI 0.41-1.49; very high heterogeneity, I2=96.8%); ungraded. Note this pools clinically different measures.
1 finding from 1 review
Streptococcus mutans count · Children and adolescents aged 0-18 years with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (CLP)
A meta-analysis of 2 studies found no difference in mean Streptococcus mutans levels between children with and without CLP, with very high heterogeneity; the evidence is ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review
Child microbiological presence (any mutans streptococci colonisation) · For interventions, pregnant women and mothers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years of age
Consumption of xylitol chewing gum by women (mothers) led to lower child microbiological presence (any mutans streptococci colonisation) compared with consumption of CHX/xylitol gum by women, or CHX varnish applied to…; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
RR 0.60 [0.45, 0.81]
2 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevention of new caries (caries development/increment) · Preschool children (primary dentition) at risk of new caries
Limited evidence from two trials suggests SDF may help prevent new caries, but preventive efficacy was not meta-analyzed and remains uncertain (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Child oral health behaviours · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years)
Pooled ECC prevalence in Europe was 36% (95% CI 25-47).
16 findings from 1 review
Show 13 more findings
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. 2024 All outcomesCountries with no income inequality (Gini) · Gini index: no inequality
Prevalence 62
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 42 [32, 53]
3 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 52 [45, 60]
33 studies
GRADE not reported
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. 2024 All outcomes49 countries worldwide; urban and rural communities · Overall (all regions)
Prevalence 49 [44, 55]
67 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 55 [42, 68]
9 studies
GRADE not reported
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. 2024 All outcomesCountries with low income inequality (Gini) · Gini index: low inequality
Prevalence 39
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. 2024 All outcomesCountries with highest life expectancy · Life expectancy: highest (>80 years)
Prevalence 28
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 53 [41, 65]
14 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 72 [58, 85]
7 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 57 [36, 77]
5 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 34 [20, 48]
6 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 30 [22, 38]
11 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 57 [47, 67]
19 studies
GRADE not reported
Fluorosis (percentage prevalence in permanent teeth) · Children exposed to topical fluoride when under 6 years old; fluorosis assessed in permanent teeth at 6 to 18 years
Fluoride varnish applied before 4 years of age (biannual) showed no clear difference in fluorosis (percentage prevalence in permanent teeth) compared with placebo varnish (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Spontaneous space closure · Children and adolescents after extraction of a mandibular permanent first molar (before eruption of the second molar)
In the mandible, presence of the third molar increases odds of spontaneous space closure (OR 2.28; low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review