Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

1,378 questions · 2,146 findings · 145 reviews

No studies found 167 · 7.8%GRADE not reported 1,674 · 78%Very low 148 · 6.9%Low 113 · 5.3%Moderate 40 · 1.9%High 4 · 0.2%

Genetically predicted DMFS (dental caries) vs Reference (1-SD lower genetically predicted DMFS)

Bone mineral density in forearm · European-ancestry adults

Genetically predicted dental caries (DMFS) had no causal effect on forearm BMD.

1 finding from 1 review

Genetically predicted DMFS (dental caries) vs Reference (1-SD lower genetically predicted DMFS)

Lumbar spine and pelvis fracture · European-ancestry adults

Genetically predicted dental caries (DMFS) had no significant causal effect on fracture of lumbar spine and pelvis (multivariable MR, OR 0.968).

2 findings from 1 review

Genetically predicted DMFS (dental caries) vs Reference (1-SD lower genetically predicted DMFS)

Forearm fracture · European-ancestry adults

Genetically predicted dental caries (DMFS) had no significant causal effect on fracture of forearm (multivariable MR, OR 0.973).

2 findings from 1 review

Genetically predicted DMFS (dental caries) vs Reference (1-SD lower genetically predicted DMFS)

Postmenopausal osteoporosis with pathological fracture · Postmenopausal women (European ancestry)

In multivariable MR (adjusted for periodontitis), genetically predicted dental caries (DMFS) causally increased postmenopausal osteoporosis with pathological fracture (OR 1.422, moderate evidence).

2 findings from 1 review

Genetically predicted DMFS (dental caries) vs Reference (1-SD lower genetically predicted DMFS)

Femoral neck bone mineral density (FN-BMD) · European-ancestry adults

Genetically predicted dental caries (DMFS) had no causal effect on femoral neck BMD.

1 finding from 1 review

Genetically predicted DMFS (dental caries) vs Reference (1-SD lower genetically predicted DMFS)

Femur fracture · European-ancestry adults

Genetically predicted dental caries (DMFS) had no significant causal effect on fracture of femur (multivariable MR, OR 1.069).

2 findings from 1 review

Clinical examination with 24-month recall vs Clinical examination with 12-month recall

Dental caries: dmfs increment (primary teeth) · Regular-attending primary-care dental patients aged 3, 16 or 18 years at entry (aged up to 20; low caries risk)

It is very uncertain whether clinical examination with 24-month recall changes dental caries: dmfs increment (primary teeth) compared with clinical examination with 12-month recall (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Clinical examination with 24-month recall vs Clinical examination with 12-month recall

Caries increment in permanent teeth · Regular-attending primary-care dental patients aged 3, 16 or 18 years at entry (aged up to 20; low caries risk)

It is very uncertain whether clinical examination with 24-month recall changes dental caries: DMFS increment (permanent teeth) compared with clinical examination with 12-month recall (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Operative treatment of dental caries lesions vs No caries treatment

Oral health-related quality of life · Adolescents (10-19 years)

Operative treatment of caries lesions has a positive effect on OHRQoL in adolescents, though the included evidence was of low quality (narrative synthesis; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating by the umbrella review).

1 finding from 1 review
  • Oral-health-related quality of life in adolescents: umbrella review. 2023 All outcomes
    Community/school/clinic settings; adolescents 10-19 years; included reviews conducted in multiple countries
    the operative treatment of caries lesions has a positive effect on OHRQoL, despite the low quality of evidence [9]. There is low evidence that the OHRQoL of children and adolescents improved following caries…
    Studies not reported
    GRADE not reported

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

Caries experience (mean DMFT) · General population (children and adults) assessed for dental hard-tissue health

Among adults, the lower DMFT score in vegetarians was smaller and not statistically significant (mean difference -0.09, 95% CI -0.32 to 0.13; ungraded).

2 findings 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

Maternal smoking during pregnancy vs No maternal smoking during pregnancy

Dental caries · children

Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with higher odds of dental caries in children (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.05; ungraded).

14 findings from 2 reviews · compare the 2 reviews
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HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy (HI) vs HIV-exposed but uninfected children (HEU)

Dental caries · Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH)

HIV-infected children on ART had higher odds of dental caries than HEU children in a cohort study (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.71 to 4.84; ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Obesity or overweight (higher BMI, mostly WHO BMI ≥25/≥30; 2 studies used waist circumference) vs Normal Weight or Non‐Obese

Dental caries · Adults (≥18 years)

After adjustment for confounders, obesity/overweight was not associated with dental caries (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.89 to 1.12; ungraded).

9 findings from 1 review
Show 6 more findings

Living with HIV and undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals

Dental caries · Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH)

In cross-sectional studies, children and adolescents with HIV on antiretroviral therapy had about twice the odds of dental caries versus HIV-negative peers (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.21 to 3.42; very low certainty).

3 findings from 1 review

Living with HIV and undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals

Caries in primary teeth: dmft (3 years) · Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH)

In cross-sectional studies, the dmft (primary dentition) index did not differ significantly between HIV+ children on ART and HIV-negative peers (MD 0.92, 95% CI -0.09 to 1.93; very low certainty).

2 findings from 1 review

Living with HIV and undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals

Dental caries severity (dmfs index, primary dentition) · Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH)

In case-control studies, HIV+ children on ART had a significantly higher dmfs index than HIV-negative peers (MD 5.15, 95% CI 2.20 to 8.11; not separately GRADE-rated).

2 findings from 1 review

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) vs Children without anemia (non-anemic)

Dental caries · Children or adolescents

Children with iron deficiency anemia are over three times more likely to have dental caries than non-anemic children (OR 3.64, 95% CI 2.45 to 5.40; moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy, >=3 drugs) vs HIV-positive not receiving HAART (standard ART or HAART-naive)

Dental caries · Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH)

Among HIV+ children, HAART versus no HAART showed no significant difference in the odds of dental caries by DMFT in cross-sectional studies (OR 1.29, 95% CI 0.59 to 2.84; ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Living with HIV and undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals

Dental caries in permanent teeth · Children and adolescents (<18 years) living with HIV (CLWH)

In cross-sectional studies, the DMFT index did not differ significantly between HIV+ children on ART and HIV-negative peers (MD 0.60, 95% CI -0.53 to 1.72; very low certainty).

2 findings from 1 review