What do systematic reviews say?

Topical fluoride therapy (toothpaste, mouthrinse, gel or varnish; any fluoride agent/concentration; frequency at least once a year) vs placebo or no treatment

• Topical fluoride (toothpastes, mouthrinses, gels or varnishes) for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents 2003 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Data on adverse effects (stain score, proportion of children with tooth staining, signs of sensitivity in oral soft tissue, adverse symptoms such as nausea/vomiting, etching of enamel) were reported in only a few…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Flossing plus toothbrushing (self-performed; manual or automated floss) vs Toothbrushing alone

• Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  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 studies
  GRADE not reported

Resin-based fissure sealant (2nd/3rd/4th generation) vs No sealant (control/no treatment)

• Pit and fissure sealants for preventing dental decay in permanent teeth 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Two trials measured adverse effects. None were reported.
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Glass ionomer-based sealant vs No sealant (control/no treatment)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Pit and fissure sealants for preventing dental decay in permanent teeth 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Adverse effects not measured.
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Glass ionomer-based sealant vs Resin-based sealant

• Pit and fissure sealants for preventing dental decay in permanent teeth 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  One trial measured adverse effects. None reported.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Interdental brushing plus toothbrushing vs Toothbrushing alone

• Interdental brushing for the prevention and control of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults 2013 · Cochrane All outcomes
  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 study
  GRADE not reported

Interdental brushing plus toothbrushing vs Flossing plus toothbrushing

• Interdental brushing for the prevention and control of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults 2013 · Cochrane All outcomes
  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 studies
  GRADE not reported

1450 ppm F toothpaste vs 440 ppm F toothpaste

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Adverse effects of toothpaste: no studies reported this outcome.
  0 studies
  No studies found

1450 ppm F toothpaste vs 250 ppm F toothpaste

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Adverse effects of toothpaste: no studies reported this outcome.
  0 studies
  No studies found

1055 to 1100 ppm F toothpaste vs 500 to 550 ppm F toothpaste

• Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months
  Adverse effects of toothpaste: not estimable. "There were no reports on adverse effects, but some children complained about the taste of the dentifrice" (Cardoso 2014); 195 participants (1 RCT); low-certainty.
  1 study · 195 participants
  Low

Fluoride toothpaste vs Placebo (non-fluoride) toothpaste or fluoride toothpaste of a different concentration

• Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Closest to 36 months
  16 studies assessed possible side effects, principally oral (soft tissue) pathologies and tooth staining. 6 studies reported no untoward events; 6 reported greater staining in the stannous fluoride group; 1 reported no…
  16 studies
  GRADE not reported

1500 ppm F toothpaste vs Non-fluoride (0 ppm F) placebo toothpaste

• Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes

  24 months
  Adverse effects of toothpaste: not estimable; 0 events reported (Fan 2008); 998 participants (1 RCT); low-certainty.
  1 study · 998 participants
  Low

1000 or 1100 ppm F toothpaste vs Non-fluoride (0 ppm F) placebo toothpaste

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Fluoride toothpastes of different concentrations for preventing dental caries 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Adverse effects of toothpaste: no studies reported this outcome.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Fluoride mouthrinse, gel or varnish combined with fluoride toothpaste (any combined regimen) vs Fluoride toothpaste alone

• Combinations of topical fluoride (toothpastes, mouthrinses, gels, varnishes) versus single topical fluoride for… 2004 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Adverse-effect data scarcely reported: a stain score in one trial and 'any side effects' in one trial without complete or useable data (stated 'no side effects observed in both groups'). No useful information on tooth…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Fluoride varnish vs placebo or no treatment

• Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents 2013 · Cochrane All outcomes

  At least 1 year
  Three trials (Salazar 2008; Skold 2005; Weintraub 2006) provided data reporting no adverse effects. There was little information concerning possible adverse effects; no pooled estimate was possible.
  3 studies
  GRADE not reported