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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.
1,344 questions in 217 reviews · Oral Health
current versionsNo studies 1,344 · 100%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 0 · 0%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.
| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Any preprocedural mouth rinse vs Placebo, no rinsing or control Acceptability and feasibility of the intervention to patients and dental healthcare providers · Dental patients undergoing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) Preprocedural mouth rinses for preventing transmission of infectious diseases through aerosols in dental… (2022) · Cochrane | No included study assessed acceptability or feasibility. | 0 studies | No studies |
Traditional screening (referral card given if the inspecting dentist judges the child needs to see a dentist) vs No screening Malocclusion or orthodontic treatment needs measured by any validated index · School children (aged 4 to 15 years), primary and secondary schools in the UK and India School dental screening programmes for oral health (2022) · Cochrane | No studies measured malocclusion or orthodontic treatment needs (by any validated index). | 0 studies | No studies |
Responsive complementary feeding (RCF) / other caregivers' feeding practices vs Other models of complementary feeding (traditional/non-responsive CF) Hypertension (later in life) · Healthy, term-born, normal-birth-weight infants aged 4-24 months (breastfed and/or formula-fed) in Western… · Later in life Complementary Feeding Caregivers' Practices and Growth, Risk of Overweight/Obesity, and Other… (2022) | No studies on the influence of caregivers' feeding practices during complementary feeding on hypertension later in life were identified. | 0 studies | No studies |
Traditional screening (referral card given if the inspecting dentist judges the child needs to see a dentist) vs No screening Proportion of children with other untreated oral health needs · School children (aged 4 to 15 years), primary and secondary schools in the UK and India School dental screening programmes for oral health (2022) · Cochrane | Proportion of children with other treated/untreated oral health need: Not reported (Summary of findings 1). | 0 studies | No studies |
Antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedure vs No antibiotic prophylaxis or placebo Development of endocarditis due to other (non-dental) causes · Adults or children at increased risk of bacterial endocarditis (pre-existing cardiac condition) undergoing an invasive… Antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing bacterial endocarditis following dental procedures (2022) · Cochrane | Only four cases developed endocarditis following non-dental medical interventions (within the past 180 days and with pre-existing cardiac indications for the use of prophylaxis), so assessment of the effects of… | 0 studies | No studies |
Flowable resin composite vs Fluoride-releasing resin-based sealant Development of >=1 new carious lesion (caries incidence) · Children who were regular dental attenders with caries-free first or second primary molars (public health service… Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth (2022) · Cochrane | No studies reported this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
New restorative materials with bio-active molecules (bio-active materials, BM) vs Any restorative material or technique Not applicable (no eligible studies) · Children with carious primary teeth (no pulp therapy) Clinical effectiveness of restorative materials for the restoration of carious primary teeth without pulp… (2022) | The search retrieved no randomized controlled trials on the clinical effectiveness of new bio-active restorative materials for carious primary teeth. | 0 studies | No studies |
Responsive / non-responsive complementary feeding (RCF/NRCF) vs Other models of complementary feeding Choking · Healthy, term-born, normal-birth-weight infants aged 4-24 months (breastfed and/or formula-fed) in Western… · Infancy Complementary Feeding Caregivers' Practices and Growth, Risk of Overweight/Obesity, and Other… (2022) | No SRs or studies relevant to the risk of choking were found that included NRCF or RCF approaches other than those specifically defined as BLW or BLISS. | 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 |
Professional oral care vs Usual oral care Change in systemic antibiotic use · Residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities Oral care measures for preventing nursing home‐acquired pneumonia (2022) · Cochrane | No studies measured change in systemic antibiotic use. | 0 studies | No studies |
Antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedure vs No antibiotic prophylaxis or placebo Adverse effects of antibiotics · Adults or children at increased risk of bacterial endocarditis (pre-existing cardiac condition) undergoing an invasive… Antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing bacterial endocarditis following dental procedures (2022) · Cochrane | Adverse effects of antibiotics | No data reported | 248 (1 study) | - | - | 0 studies | No studies |
Combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) vs Monotherapy or dual antiretroviral therapy Oral hairy leukoplakia prevalence · Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH) Impact of Antiretroviral Therapy on Oral Health among Children Living with HIV: A Systematic Review and… (2022) | No eligible studies compared oral hairy leukoplakia between CLWH on different ART medications. | 0 studies | No studies |
Traditional screening (referral card given if the inspecting dentist judges the child needs to see a dentist) vs No screening Adverse events · School children (aged 4 to 15 years), primary and secondary schools in the UK and India School dental screening programmes for oral health (2022) · Cochrane | Adverse events: Not reported (Summary of findings 1). | 0 studies | No studies |
Periodontal treatment (subgingival instrumentation, with or without antimicrobials/surgery) vs No active intervention/usual care Diabetic complications · People with diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2, mostly type 2) and periodontitis, at least 16 years of age · 3-4 months Treatment of periodontitis for glycaemic control in people with diabetes mellitus (2022) · Cochrane | Included studies did not report data on diabetic complications (some reported medication changes only) | 0 studies | No studies |
Food and nonalcoholic beverage marketing (exposure) vs No, less, or less powerful food marketing Diet-related noncommunicable diseases · Children and adolescents aged 0-19 years Association of Food and Nonalcoholic Beverage Marketing With Children and Adolescents' Eating Behaviors and… (2022) | No studies were found with relevant data on diet-related noncommunicable diseases or validated surrogate indicators. | 0 studies | No studies |
Antibiotic prophylaxis before dental procedure vs No antibiotic prophylaxis or placebo Cost implications of antibiotic provision · Adults or children at increased risk of bacterial endocarditis (pre-existing cardiac condition) undergoing an invasive… Antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing bacterial endocarditis following dental procedures (2022) · Cochrane | The study did not provide any data on mortality, adverse events requiring hospitalisation, adverse effects of antibiotics or cost implications of treatment. | 0 studies | No studies |
Any preprocedural mouth rinse vs Placebo, no rinsing or control Cost · Dental patients undergoing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) Preprocedural mouth rinses for preventing transmission of infectious diseases through aerosols in dental… (2022) · Cochrane | No included study reported cost. | 0 studies | No studies |
Fluoride-containing dental care products (toothpaste) vs Dietary/other fluoride sources Contribution of dental care products to total fluoride exposure · Pregnant and lactating women Fluoride Intake Through Dental Care Products: A Systematic Review. (2022) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Full-mouth scaling (FMS): scaling/root planing (subgingival instrumentation) of all quadrants within 24 hours, without antiseptic vs Full-mouth disinfection (FMD): scaling/root planing (subgingival instrumentation) of all quadrants within 24 hours plus adjunctive antiseptic (chlorhexidine) treatments (rinsing, pocket irrigation, tongue/tonsil brushing) Tooth loss · Adults with a clinical diagnosis of (chronic) periodontitis (1999 classification); studies of aggressive… Full‐mouth treatment modalities (within 24 hours) for periodontitis in adults (2022) · Cochrane | Tooth loss: None of the studies comparing FMS vs FMD reported tooth loss. | 0 studies | No studies |
Responsive complementary feeding (RCF) / other caregivers' feeding practices vs Other models of complementary feeding (traditional/non-responsive CF) Dental caries (later in life) · Healthy, term-born, normal-birth-weight infants aged 4-24 months (breastfed and/or formula-fed) in Western… · Later in life Complementary Feeding Caregivers' Practices and Growth, Risk of Overweight/Obesity, and Other… (2022) | No studies on the influence of caregivers' feeding practices during complementary feeding on dental caries later in life were identified. | 0 studies | No studies |
Traditional screening (referral card given if the inspecting dentist judges the child needs to see a dentist) vs No screening Cost effectiveness · School children (aged 4 to 15 years), primary and secondary schools in the UK and India School dental screening programmes for oral health (2022) · Cochrane | As none of the studies reported cost-effectiveness, we could not assess the cost-benefit aspect of school dental screening. | 0 studies | No studies |
Periodontal treatment (subgingival instrumentation, with or without antimicrobials/surgery) vs No active intervention/usual care Cost implications · People with diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2, mostly type 2) and periodontitis, at least 16 years of age · 3-4 months Treatment of periodontitis for glycaemic control in people with diabetes mellitus (2022) · Cochrane | Included studies did not report cost data. A brief economic commentary drew on four external economic evaluations (Smits 2020, Nasseh 2017, Choi 2020, Soloweij-Wedderburn 2017) suggesting potential cost… | 0 studies | No studies |
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) vs Usual care, waiting list or no treatment (control) Additional physical symptoms · People aged 12 years and over with painful TMD lasting 3 months or longer Psychological therapies for temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) (2022) · Cochrane | This outcome was not measured for this comparison. | NR | 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 |
Full-mouth scaling (FMS): scaling/root planing (subgingival instrumentation) of all quadrants within 24 hours, without antiseptic vs Quadrant scaling and root planing (control): SRP of each quadrant in separate sessions at least one week apart Tooth loss · Adults with a clinical diagnosis of (chronic) periodontitis (1999 classification); studies of aggressive… Full‐mouth treatment modalities (within 24 hours) for periodontitis in adults (2022) · Cochrane | Tooth loss: None of the studies comparing FMS vs control reported tooth loss. | 0 studies | No studies |
Oral cytology (e.g. OralCDx brush biopsy, CytID) vs Reference standard: examination and clinical evaluation by a physician/clinician with specialist knowledge or training (long-term follow-up accepted for those screened negative) Outcome NR · Apparently healthy adults not reporting symptoms of OPMD or OSCC, attending an organised screening or surveillance… Clinical assessment for the detection of oral cavity cancer and potentially malignant disorders in… (2021) · Cochrane | Oral cytology (e.g. brush biopsy) was added to the list of eligible index tests in this update; no eligible studies evaluated it (evidence gap). | 0 studies | No studies |
Double primary (canine and first molar) tooth extraction vs Single primary (canine) tooth extraction Root resorption of the impacted canine or adjacent incisors and first premolars · Young people aged 9 to 14 years diagnosed with one or both palatally displaced permanent maxillary canines (PDC) Interventions for promoting the eruption of palatally displaced permanent canine teeth, without the need for… (2021) · Cochrane | The studies did not report adverse events. | 0 studies | No studies |
ARP with alloplast plus barrier membrane vs ARP with alloplast without membrane Aesthetic outcomes of future prosthodontic rehabilitation · Adults aged 18 years or older, in good general health (including well-controlled systemic disease), requiring… · 9 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: alveolar ridge preservation techniques for dental implant site… (2021) · Cochrane | Outcome not reported | 0 studies | No studies |
COE with blood/salivary (biomarker) analysis vs Reference standard: examination and clinical evaluation by a physician/clinician with specialist knowledge or training (long-term follow-up accepted for those screened negative) Outcome NR · Apparently healthy adults not reporting symptoms of OPMD or OSCC, attending an organised screening or surveillance… Clinical assessment for the detection of oral cavity cancer and potentially malignant disorders in… (2021) · Cochrane | There were no eligible studies evaluating blood or salivary sample analysis (which tests for the presence of biomarkers for OPMD and OSCC). | 0 studies | No studies |
Intensive periodontal treatment (subgingival SRP with or without other periodontal treatment) vs Supra-gingival scaling Proportion of participants diagnosed with hypertension at trial completion · Adults (any age/sex) with chronic periodontitis (>=5 teeth remaining; PPD >4 mm), with or without hypertension Effect of periodontal treatments on blood pressure (2021) · Cochrane | No included study in this comparison reported the proportion of participants diagnosed with hypertension at trial completion. | NR | No studies |
ARP with alloplast vs Extraction alone Aesthetic outcomes of future prosthodontic rehabilitation · Adults aged 18 years or older, in good general health (including well-controlled systemic disease), requiring… · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: alveolar ridge preservation techniques for dental implant site… (2021) · Cochrane | Outcome not reported | 0 studies | No studies |
Chemotherapy (any regimen; added to, or compared with, locoregional treatment) vs Locoregional treatment and/or an alternative chemotherapy regimen Quality of life · People receiving curative-intent treatment for oral cavity and oropharyngeal (squamous cell) cancer Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: chemotherapy (2021) · Cochrane | Quality of life was a planned (protocol) outcome but no included trial provided usable quality-of-life data; the protocol was modified to report only survival/response outcomes. | 0 studies | No studies |
Any orthodontic (non-surgical) treatment to correct posterior crossbite or expand the top teeth vs No treatment or another orthodontic treatment Signs and symptoms of respiratory issues · Children and adults with a posterior crossbite, without a Class III skeletal relationship, cleft lip or palate (or… Orthodontic treatment for posterior crossbites (2021) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Extraction of the primary (baby) canine (single primary tooth extraction) vs No extraction (non-intervention control) Reported improvement in the position of the ectopic canine measured from radiographs · Young people aged 9 to 14 years diagnosed with one or both palatally displaced permanent maxillary canines (PDC) Interventions for promoting the eruption of palatally displaced permanent canine teeth, without the need for… (2021) · Cochrane | Improvement in the position of the ectopic canine was not extracted as a distinct outcome (alpha-angle was the trial's own outcome). | 0 studies | No studies |
Any orthodontic (non-surgical) treatment to correct posterior crossbite or expand the top teeth vs No treatment or another orthodontic treatment Quality of life · Children and adults with a posterior crossbite, without a Class III skeletal relationship, cleft lip or palate (or… Orthodontic treatment for posterior crossbites (2021) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Electrical conductance devices (electronic caries monitor (ECM) and/or CarieScan Pro), used as an adjunct to clinical oral examination vs Reference standard: histology or enhanced visual examination (with or without radiographs) Outcome NR · Children/adolescents/adults or extracted teeth; target condition = non-cavitated enamel caries on SMOOTH tooth surfaces. · Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries (2021) · Cochrane | No eligible studies. All included studies assessed occlusal surfaces only; smooth surfaces were a planned surface subgroup with no data. | 0 studies | No studies |
Chemotherapy vs Placebo Outcome NR · People receiving curative-intent treatment for oral cavity and oropharyngeal (squamous cell) cancer Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: chemotherapy (2021) · Cochrane | Types of studies: it was anticipated that there would be no studies comparing chemotherapy with placebo (none were identified). | 0 studies | No studies |
Double primary (canine and first molar) tooth extraction vs Single primary (canine) tooth extraction Any other adverse effects, such as gingival disease and demineralisation · Young people aged 9 to 14 years diagnosed with one or both palatally displaced permanent maxillary canines (PDC) Interventions for promoting the eruption of palatally displaced permanent canine teeth, without the need for… (2021) · Cochrane | The studies did not report adverse events. | 0 studies | No studies |
Intensive periodontal treatment (subgingival SRP with or without other periodontal treatment) vs Supra-gingival scaling Heart rate · Adults (any age/sex) with chronic periodontitis (>=5 teeth remaining; PPD >4 mm), with or without hypertension Effect of periodontal treatments on blood pressure (2021) · Cochrane | Heart rate was reported only by Higashi 2009 (periodontal treatment vs no treatment); no study in the intensive-treatment vs supra-gingival-scaling comparison reported heart rate. | NR | No studies |
ARP with xenograft (bone graft) vs Extraction alone Aesthetic outcomes of future prosthodontic rehabilitation · Adults aged 18 years or older, in good general health (including well-controlled systemic disease), requiring… · 6 to 36 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: alveolar ridge preservation techniques for dental implant site… (2021) · Cochrane | Outcome not reported | 0 studies | No studies |
Rubber dam isolation and moisture control (alone or with saliva aspiration) vs Cotton rolls (with or without saliva aspiration) Costs: direct cost of treatment · Dental patients undergoing direct or indirect restorative treatment (no age or gender restriction) Rubber dam isolation for restorative treatment in dental patients (2021) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Any of the interventions (CR, SE, SW, sealing with sealant materials, Hall Technique, or NRCC) vs Each other, placebo, or no treatment Safety issues (adverse events) · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious… Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions (2021) · Cochrane | None of the studies reported adverse effects. | 0 studies | No studies |
COE with light-based detection (e.g. ViziLite Plus, Microlux/DL, VELscope, Identafi 3000) vs COE with vital rinsing (toluidine blue/tolonium chloride) Outcome NR · Apparently healthy adults not reporting symptoms of OPMD or OSCC, attending an organised screening or surveillance… Clinical assessment for the detection of oral cavity cancer and potentially malignant disorders in… (2021) · Cochrane | No eligible studies; planned comparative analysis (COE with vital rinse vs COE with light-based detection) not populated in this version. | 0 studies | No studies |
ARP with alloplast vs Extraction alone Implant failure rate · Adults aged 18 years or older, in good general health (including well-controlled systemic disease), requiring… · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: alveolar ridge preservation techniques for dental implant site… (2021) · Cochrane | Outcome not reported | 0 studies | No studies |
Fixed tooth-borne expansion (Hyrax) vs Observation (no treatment) Canine expansion (inter-canine distance) · Children and adults with a posterior crossbite, without a Class III skeletal relationship, cleft lip or palate (or… Orthodontic treatment for posterior crossbites (2021) · Cochrane | Not measured (SoF 3) | 0 studies | No studies |
Extraction of the primary (baby) canine (single primary tooth extraction) vs No extraction (non-intervention control) Time taken for the canine to erupt into the mouth · Young people aged 9 to 14 years diagnosed with one or both palatally displaced permanent maxillary canines (PDC) Interventions for promoting the eruption of palatally displaced permanent canine teeth, without the need for… (2021) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Glass ionomer cement vs Amalgam Adverse events · Patients needing retrograde filling in root canal therapy (orthograde root canal filling or retreatment not possible;… Materials for retrograde filling in root canal therapy (2021) · Cochrane | Adverse events: outcome was not assessed by the included studies | 0 studies | No studies |
Any of the interventions (CR, SE, SW, sealing with sealant materials, Hall Technique, or NRCC) vs Each other, placebo, or no treatment Subjective evaluation of the treatments by participants · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious… Interventions for treating cavitated or dentine carious lesions (2021) · Cochrane | We found no studies reporting subjective evaluation of the treatments by participants. | 0 studies | No studies |
Blood and saliva analysis (biomarker tests) vs Surgical or punch biopsy with histological assessment Outcome NR · Adults (aged 16 years or over) presenting to primary or secondary care with clinically evident suspicious or innocuous… Diagnostic tests for oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders in patients presenting with clinically… (2021) · Cochrane | No eligible studies assessed the diagnostic test accuracy of blood and saliva analysis; potentially eligible biomarker studies were excluded as case-control designs. | 0 studies | No studies |