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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.
15 questions in 6 reviews · intervention: Pit-and-fissure sealants · outcome domain: Lesion arrest/remineralization
current versionsNo studies 6 · 40%Ungraded 6 · 40%Very low 0 · 0%Low 1 · 6.7%Moderate 2 · 13.3%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
| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Resin-based sealant (proximal sealing / fluoride-releasing resin sealant) vs Non-invasive measures (fluoride varnish; no intervention) Radiographic progression of proximal caries lesions · Children and adults with non-cavitated proximal (interproximal) caries lesions in primary and/or permanent teeth (ages… · Final follow-up (1 to 3.5 years), Sealant vs non-invasive (Fig. 5, subgroup 2.1.2) Microinvasive interventions in the management of proximal caries lesions in primary and permanent teeth-… (2025) | OR 0.24 [0.10, 0.55] | 2 studies · 111 participants | Ungraded |
Microinvasive techniques (resin infiltration, sealant, glass ionomer) vs Invasive treatment (conventional restorations) Radiographic progression of proximal caries lesions · Children and adults with non-cavitated proximal (interproximal) caries lesions in primary and/or permanent teeth (ages… Microinvasive interventions in the management of proximal caries lesions in primary and permanent teeth-… (2025) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Microinvasive techniques (mostly resin infiltration; incl. resin sealant) vs Non-invasive measures (fluoride varnish/toothpaste, flossing, oral hygiene instruction, sham/standard of care) Radiographic progression of proximal caries lesions · Children and adults with non-cavitated proximal caries lesions in permanent teeth (ages 11-45) · Final follow-up (1 to 7 years across trials), Permanent teeth (Fig. 6, subgroup 2.1.1) Microinvasive interventions in the management of proximal caries lesions in primary and permanent teeth-… (2025) | OR 0.18 [0.10, 0.32] | 7 studies · 296 participants | Ungraded |
Glass ionomer-based sealant vs Resin-based sealant (fluoride-releasing or non-fluoride-releasing) Progression of non-cavitated enamel caries · 'Healthy' children with caries-free second primary molars, aged 3-5 years (schools and kindergartens, India and China) Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth (2022) · Cochrane | No studies reported this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
Fluoride-releasing resin-based sealant vs Resin-based sealant Progression of non-cavitated enamel caries · Children with caries-free second primary molars, aged 4-8 years (dental clinic, Turkey and Spain) Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth (2022) · Cochrane | No studies reported this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
Autopolymerised sealant vs Light polymerised sealant Progression of non-cavitated enamel caries · Children with sound primary molars, aged 2-4 years (municipal dental clinics or hospital paediatric clinics, Denmark) Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth (2022) · Cochrane | No studies reported on this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
Glass ionomer-based sealant vs No sealant Progression of non-cavitated enamel caries · Children with caries-free primary first molars (with or without caries on other teeth), aged 1-5 years (paediatric… Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth (2022) · Cochrane | No studies reported this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
Fluoride-releasing resin-based sealant vs No sealant (no treatment) Progression of non-cavitated enamel caries · Children with caries-free or non-cavitated carious lesion primary molars, aged 3-7 years (paediatric department,… Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth (2022) · Cochrane | No studies reported this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
Sealing (resin sealant, glass ionomer cement, or polyurethane tape) vs Non-invasive/control treatments (flossing, fluoride varnish/toothpaste, or dietary advice; placebo in one trial) Radiographic proximal caries lesion progression · Patients with non-cavitated proximal caries lesions · Longest available follow-up Infiltration and sealing for managing non-cavitated proximal lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2021) | OR 0.27 [0.18, 0.42] | 7 studies · 320 participants | Moderate |
Sealing using sealant materials vs Selective carious tissue removal (selective excavation, SE) Lesion progression · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious… · Cavitated lesions, primary dentition Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions (2021) · Cochrane | Lesion progression reported narratively: Dias 2018 1/27 sealed vs 1/21 SE at 24 months; Hesse 2014 0/17 sealed vs 0/17 SE at 18 months; not pooled and not GRADE-rated. | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Sealing using sealant materials vs Non-selective carious tissue removal and conventional restoration (CR) Lesion progression · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious… · Non-cavitated lesions, primary dentition Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions (2021) · Cochrane | Lesion progression reported narratively: Borges 2012a found 3/26 sealed lesions progressed after 1 year (split-mouth); not pooled and not GRADE-rated. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Sealing using sealant materials vs No treatment Lesion progression · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious… · Non-cavitated lesions, permanent dentition Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions (2021) · Cochrane | Lesion progression reported narratively: da Silveira 2012 found 3/27 lesions progressed after 1 year; not pooled and not GRADE-rated. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Resin-modified glass ionomer fissure sealant vs Fluoride varnish Progression of dentinal carious lesions into enamel or dentine · Children and adolescents from the general population, younger than 20 years of age at the start of the study · 1 year Pit and fissure sealants versus fluoride varnishes for preventing dental decay in the permanent teeth of… (2020) · Cochrane | OR 0.18 [0.01, 4.27] | 1 study · 21 participants | Ungraded |
Sealant vs No treatment Arrest or reversal of noncavitated approximal carious lesions · Children and adults with noncavitated carious lesions on approximal surfaces (primary and permanent teeth) · 12-36 mo Nonrestorative Treatments for Caries: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. (2019) | RR 2.41 [1.26, 4.58] | 6 studies · 565 participants | Low |
Sealant vs No treatment Arrest or reversal of noncavitated occlusal carious lesions · Children and adults with noncavitated carious lesions on occlusal surfaces (primary and permanent teeth) · 8-12 mo Nonrestorative Treatments for Caries: Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. (2019) | RR 1.98 [1.61, 2.44] | 7 studies · 1575 participants | Moderate |