Gap finder

Search review questions

Each row is one question a systematic review asked: who, what, compared with what, and which outcome, with the effect it found and how certain that is. Words match anywhere in the field.

Limit to evidence status or GRADE (optional)

21 questions in 9 reviews · intervention: Oral hygiene/education · outcome domain: Adverse effects/fluorosis

current versions
No studies 7 · 33.3%Ungraded 12 · 57.1%Very low 2 · 9.5%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%

Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.

Intervention categories, outcome domains and clusters are a proposed key pending human validation. Clear all filters

QuestionEffectEvidenceStatus / GRADE
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) vs Usual care, waiting list or no treatment (control)
Adverse events · People aged 12 years and over with painful TMD lasting 3 months or longer
Psychological therapies for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) (2022) · Cochrane
Only 1 study reported adverse events as an outcome (Litt 2010): it found worsening symptoms in 13 people treated with an oral splint (as part of standard treatment) and 4 people treated with CBT.1 study · 101 participantsVery low
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) vs Alternative (active) treatment (e.g. oral splint, medication, self-care or disease management)
Adverse events · People aged 12 years and over with painful TMD lasting 3 months or longer
Psychological therapies for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) (2022) · Cochrane
SoF: 3 studies reported minor adverse events in the control group; 1 study reported minor adverse events in psychological therapy group; 1 study reported that there were no adverse events. Results: NCT00066937 minor…5 studiesVery low
Sodium bicarbonate rinse (plus toothbrushing) vs Water rinse (plus toothbrushing)
Adverse effects · Critically ill patients receiving mechanical ventilation in ICU
Oral hygiene care for critically ill patients to prevent ventilator‐associated pneumonia (2020) · Cochrane
Adverse effects (Berry 2011, CHX versus sodium bicarbonate versus water): no adverse events were reported associated with the interventions.1 studyUngraded
Rubber/elastomeric cleaning stick plus toothbrushing vs Flossing plus toothbrushing
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Five studies assessed adverse events. One did not report findings, but the others reported either no adverse events or minor adverse events that did not significantly differ between interventions.5 studiesUngraded
Flossing plus toothbrushing vs Toothbrushing alone
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Adverse effects were assessed and reported in seven studies. Three reported no adverse events on the oral hard or soft tissues. Four reported sporadic adverse events with mild severity, with no evidence of a difference…7 studiesUngraded
Oral irrigation plus toothbrushing vs Toothbrushing alone
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Three studies reported that there were no adverse events, one reported one incidence of aphthous ulcer in irrigator group, one reported oral lacerations but found no difference between the interventions, and one did…5 studiesUngraded
Rubber/elastomeric cleaning stick plus toothbrushing vs Toothbrushing alone
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Harms and adverse outcomes: Not reported (neither study reported on adverse effects).0 studiesNo studies
Interdental brushing plus toothbrushing vs Toothbrushing alone
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Harms and adverse outcomes (SoF): Neither study reported any information about adverse events. Jared 2005 assessed adverse events (participants issued a symptom diary) but did not report the findings; Graziani 2017 did…1 studyUngraded
Wooden cleaning stick plus toothbrushing vs Flossing plus toothbrushing
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Harms and adverse outcomes: Not reported (neither study reported on adverse effects).0 studiesNo studies
Wooden cleaning stick plus toothbrushing vs Toothbrushing alone
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Harms and adverse outcomes: Not reported (neither study reported on adverse effects).0 studiesNo studies
Rubber/elastomeric cleaning stick plus toothbrushing vs Interdental brushing plus toothbrushing
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Harms and adverse outcomes (SoF): Not reported. Yost 2006 performed examinations of the oral soft tissue at the final visit but did not report the findings; Graziani 2017 and Smith 1988 did not measure adverse effects.1 studyUngraded
Oral irrigation plus toothbrushing vs Flossing plus toothbrushing
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Both studies reported that there were no adverse events in either study group.2 studiesUngraded
Interdental brushing plus toothbrushing vs Flossing plus toothbrushing
Harms and adverse effects · Adults, 16 years and older (dentate)
Home use of interdental cleaning devices, in addition to toothbrushing, for preventing and controlling… (2019) · Cochrane
Five studies reported there were no adverse events. Two studies reported on problems with the use of interdental brushes or floss, which sometimes caused soreness. (Six studies reported on adverse events; none…6 studiesUngraded
Any form of one-to-one oral hygiene advice (OHA) vs No OHA
Adverse events · Children or adults (fit and healthy, or with a well-defined medical condition)
One‐to‐one oral hygiene advice provided in a dental setting for oral health (2018) · Cochrane
No adverse events due to OHA were reported in the included trials (review-wide; assessed across all 19 included studies).NRUngraded
Oral health education (advice and training) vs Standard care (oral health advice not specifically emphasised beyond usual care)
Adverse events: Clinically important specific adverse events · People with serious mental illness (all included participants had schizophrenia); majority aged 18 to 65 years per…
Oral health education (advice and training) for people with serious mental illness (2016) · Cochrane
No study reported useable data0 studiesNo studies
Educational intervention with information and practical components (theoretical oral health education plus practical skills training) for nursing staff and/or residents vs (Optimised) usual care
Adverse effects of the interventions · Nursing home residents (mean age 78.3 to 86.0 years; more than 66% women; 62.1% to 87.3% with dental prostheses)
Oral health educational interventions for nursing home staff and residents (2016) · Cochrane
None of the included studies assessed adverse effects of the intervention.0 studiesNo studies
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) vs No special instructions (control)
Adverse effects of pain treatment · Adults undergoing orthodontic treatment
Non‐pharmacological interventions for alleviating pain during orthodontic treatment (2016) · Cochrane
Adverse effects for CBT: Not measured.NRNo studies
Motivational interview plus oral health education vs Oral health education
Adverse events: Clinically important specific adverse events · People with serious mental illness (all included participants had schizophrenia); majority aged 18 to 65 years per…
Oral health education (advice and training) for people with serious mental illness (2016) · Cochrane
No study reported useable data0 studiesNo studies
Interdental brushing plus toothbrushing vs Toothbrushing alone
Harms and adverse effects · Dentate adults aged 16 years and older
Interdental brushing for the prevention and control of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults (2013) · Cochrane
Not estimable. Only 1 study reported adverse outcomes in terms of problems with the use of the assigned interdental cleaning aids. (See comment) In this comparison the single study (Jared 2005) asked participants to…1 studyUngraded
Interdental brushing plus toothbrushing vs Flossing plus toothbrushing
Harms and adverse effects · Dentate adults aged 16 years and older
Interdental brushing for the prevention and control of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults (2013) · Cochrane
Not estimable. 2 studies reported adverse outcomes in terms of problems with the use of the assigned interdental cleaning aids. We were unable to pool data. (See comment) Three further studies reported that no adverse…5 studiesUngraded
Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated floss) vs Toothbrushing alone (with or without a negative-control/placebo rinse)
Harms and adverse effects · Dentate adults aged 16 years or older (excluding orthodontic patients and those with severe periodontal disease)
Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults (2011) · Cochrane
Not estimable (5 studies). Adverse effects were assessed in five studies, but they used different outcome measures, so meta-analysis was not appropriate. The main harm identified was soft-tissue trauma to the gingival…5 studiesUngraded