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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

18 questions · 20 findings · 12 reviews · Oral Health

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No studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 13 · 65%Very low 2 · 10%Low 1 · 5%Moderate 3 · 15%High 1 · 5%

Resin-based fissure sealant vs Fluoride varnish

DMFS (decayed, missing, filled surfaces) increment, occlusal surfaces · Schoolchildren aged 6-12 years with sound occlusal surfaces of the first permanent molars

Pit and fissure sealant and fluoride varnish showed no statistically significant difference in DMFS increment at 24 months (SMD -0.13, 95% CI -0.67 to 0.40; I2=92%; not GRADE-rated).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride supplementation (tablets, drops, lozenges or chewing gum) vs placebo or no treatment

Decayed primary surfaces at 3 years · Pregnant women (for preventing dental caries in the primary teeth of their children)

Fluoride supplementation (tablets, drops, lozenges or chewing gum) showed no clear difference in decayed primary surfaces at 3 years compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

2 findings from 1 review

Women who experienced preterm birth vs Women who did not experience preterm birth (term)

Decayed, missing, filled surfaces (DMFS) · pregnant women

Women who experienced preterm birth did not have a significantly different DMFS than those who did not (mean difference -0.15, 95% CI -3.40 to 3.09; 3 studies; I2=89%); certainty of evidence not graded.

1 finding from 1 review
  • Dental caries and preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2018 All outcomes
    Pregnant women assessed around delivery in observational studies across multiple countries (Mexico, Malawi, India, France, Jordan, Finland, Tanzania); mostly retrospective cohort and case-control designs
    MD -0.15 [-3.40, 3.09]
    3 studies · 2594 participants
    GRADE not reported

Fluoride supplementation (tablets, drops, lozenges or chewing gum) vs placebo or no treatment

Decayed or filled primary tooth surfaces at 3 years · Pregnant women (for preventing dental caries in the primary teeth of their children)

It is very uncertain whether fluoride supplementation (tablets, drops, lozenges or chewing gum) changes decayed or filled primary tooth surfaces at 3 years compared with placebo or no treatment (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride supplementation (tablets, drops, lozenges or chewing gum) vs placebo or no treatment

Decayed or filled primary tooth surfaces at 5 years · Pregnant women (for preventing dental caries in the primary teeth of their children)

It is very uncertain whether fluoride supplementation (tablets, drops, lozenges or chewing gum) changes decayed or filled primary tooth surfaces at 5 years compared with placebo or no treatment (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Fissure sealant (resin-based or glass ionomer)

Increment of occlusal DMFS (decayed, missing, filled surfaces) of FPMs · Generally healthy children aged 6 to 9 years with at least one fully erupted first permanent molar with deep fissures or early enamel…

Fluoride varnish and fissure sealant did not differ significantly in occlusal DMFS increment of FPMs (MD 0.13, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.34; 3 RCTs; ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Advice about a healthy diet (including breastfeeding promotion and sugar avoidance) and feeding practices (e.g. relating to bottle-feeding and sleep) for infants and young children vs usual care

dmfs index score (decayed, missing, filled primary surfaces; range 0-80) · 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… showed no clear difference in dmfs index score (decayed, missing, filled primary surfaces; range… compared with standard care (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Resin-based fissure sealant vs Fluoride varnish

Change in DMFS (decayed, missing and filled permanent surfaces) increment · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)

Resin-based fissure sealant led to lower change in DMFS (decayed, missing and filled permanent surfaces)… compared with fluoride varnish; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Triclosan/copolymer-containing fluoride toothpaste vs Fluoride toothpaste without triclosan

Coronal caries increment · Children and adults (aged 16 years or less = children, over 16 = adults) without periodontitis at baseline; in practice mostly adults,…

Triclosan/copolymer-containing fluoride toothpaste leads to lower coronal caries increment at 24 to 36 months (decayed filled… compared with fluoride toothpaste without triclosan (high certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Vegetarian diet (any diet excluding all meat, poultry and fish) vs Nonvegetarian diet

Dental caries measures other than pooled DMFT (DMFS, decayed/filled surfaces and teeth, root caries, nonvisible lesions, white spots) · General population (children and adults) assessed for dental hard-tissue health

Evidence on other dental-caries measures was inconsistent: some indices (decayed surfaces/teeth, root caries, white spots) were higher in vegetarians while some studies found lower caries in vegetarian children (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review
  • Vegetarian diet and its possible influence on dental health: A systematic literature review. 2020 All outcomes
    Multiple countries (mostly India; also Finland and other European countries, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago); community and clinical settings
    Eleven studies reported dental caries using 11 definitions; four (DMFT) were meta-analysed (see O2). Narrative findings were inconsistent: DMFS results were mixed; decayed surfaces and decayed teeth and percentages of…
    Studies not reported
    GRADE not reported