Streptococcus mutans count · Humans at risk of dental caries (children aged 6-12 years; adults with dental caries)
Postbiotic products reduce salivary S. mutans counts in human trials, though not always significantly (ungraded narrative synthesis).
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse effects (tooth staining and other side effects) · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)
SDF commonly causes black staining of arrested lesions; only mild, transient adverse events were reported, with no major adverse events (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Secondary prevention of caries · children with deep occlusal carious lesions in permanent molars
No significant difference in secondary caries prevention was reported; no effect estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Secondary prevention of caries · children with deep occlusal carious lesions in permanent molars
No significant difference in secondary caries prevention was reported; no effect estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Inactive (arrested) carious lesions on permanent first molars · Children with dental caries in permanent (first) molars
Six-monthly SDF produced significantly more inactive (arrested) lesions than no treatment in children's permanent molars (0.3 vs 0.1; p<0.05; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Intervention not reported
Untreated dental caries prevalence
1 finding from 1 review
Microbial reduction (viable count, log CFU/mL) · Patients with dental caries (in vivo cariogenic microorganisms, including children with early childhood caries)
In randomized clinical trials, photodynamic therapy significantly reduced cariogenic microbial counts versus untreated control (SMD -1.16, 95% CI -2.02 to -0.30; 2 trials), but heterogeneity was high (I2=70%) and considered too high to rely on; certainty was not graded.
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) - incidence/risk · Children with exclusively primary dentition (age ≤71 months)
Breastfeeding beyond 24 months is associated with an increased risk (incidence) of early childhood caries versus not breastfeeding at the same age (RR 2.44, 95% CI 1.97 to 3.02; low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years)
Breastfeeding for more than 12 months is associated with higher ECC prevalence (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 1.86 [1.48, 2.35]
13 studies
Low
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years)
Breastfeeding for more than 24 months is associated with higher ECC prevalence (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 2.99 [1.03, 8.67]
4 studies
Low
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years)
Breastfeeding for 12-24 months is associated with higher ECC prevalence (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
PR 3.32 [1.57, 5.07]
2 studies
Low
Early childhood caries (ECC) - incidence/risk · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years)
Breastfeeding for 12-24 months may not increase ECC risk (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
RR 1.21 [0.82, 1.78]
5 studies
Low
Oral health-related quality of life · Children with dental caries
SDF had no significant effect on oral health-related quality of life versus pooled standard-of-care caries treatments (SMD -0.06, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.08; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Restoration color, marginal staining and luster (esthetics) · Children with deep occlusal caries in young permanent first molars (indirect pulp capping)
RMGIC gave significantly better restoration esthetics than SDF, which caused black staining (p=0.03; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Baraka et al. (2022): significant differences in restoration color, marginal staining and luster favoring RMGIC over both SDF groups (p=0.03); SDF caused black staining that darkened over time.
1 study · 49 participants
GRADE not reported
new active or inactive carious lesions · Children with dental caries in permanent (first) molars
SDF had a 72% preventative fraction; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
new carious lesions or fillings at tooth level · children with caries in permanent molars
SDF had a 41% preventative fraction at tooth level; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
new carious lesions or fillings · Children with dental caries in permanent (first) molars
SDF had a 57% preventative fraction; the comparator was not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
new carious lesions or fillings at fissure-site level · children with caries in permanent molars
SDF had a 52% preventative fraction at fissure-site level; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
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
Oral health-related quality of life · Children with dental caries
ART and placebo did not differ for oral health-related quality of life, based on an indirect network estimate with no direct trials (MD -0.01, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.38; ungraded).
3 findings from 1 review