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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

2,066 questions · 3,346 findings · 178 reviews · Dental caries

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No studies found 48 · 1.4%GRADE not reported 2,789 · 83.4%Very low 208 · 6.2%Low 129 · 3.9%Moderate 136 · 4.1%High 36 · 1.1%

Electronic cigarette use vs Non-smokers

Dry mouth (xerostomia) · Humans who use e-cigarettes (adolescents to adults) assessed for dental caries

Two studies reported more frequent xerostomia (dry mouth) among e-cigarette users than non-smokers, which may raise caries risk, but results were not pooled (ungraded, narrative).

1 finding from 1 review

Country-level periodontal disease prevalence (Global Burden of Disease) vs Low vs high periodontal disease prevalence

Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community

OHRQoL did not differ significantly by country-level periodontal disease prevalence; no pooled estimate was reported in the text (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Country-level income (World Bank income classification) vs Higher- vs lower-income country categories

Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community

Community-dwelling older adults in higher-income countries had better OHRQoL than those in lower-income countries (77.9, 95% CI 70.2 to 85.6 vs 66.9, 95% CI 56.7 to 77.0); the difference by income was statistically significant (ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Hydraulic calcium silicate cements (HCSC; MTA or Biodentine) vs Calcium hydroxide (CH)

Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Vital permanent teeth (mature or immature) with deep or extremely deep caries and asymptomatic pulp or reversible pulpitis, undergoing…

At 36-month follow-up, HCSC show higher odds of clinical and radiographic success than CaOH (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.43 to 3.84; ungraded subgroup).

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

Replacement of the defective restoration vs Repair of the defective restoration

Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 4: marginal discoloration · Dentists managing a defective direct resin composite restoration (posterior occlusal Class I; standardized vignette of a 30-year-old,…

For a defective composite restoration with marginal discoloration, surveyed dentists most often preferred replacement over repair (pooled RR 1.97; p < 0.001); ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Hall technique vs Fluoride varnish

Treatment success (caries lesion arrest or restoration survival) · Children (aged 3-11 y) with cavitated caries lesions in primary teeth

At 12 months, the Hall technique had significantly higher treatment success than sodium fluoride varnish (OR 6.38; moderate certainty).

2 findings from 1 review

Ion-releasing restorations (IRR): RMGIC, HVGIC, GIC, compomer/PMRC, giomer vs Composite resin (CR), including bulk-fill composite

Absence of marginal discoloration · Children receiving dental restorations (aged 4-11 years; primary teeth; Class I/II/V cavities)

No significant difference between IRR and CR in marginal discoloration (moderate certainty; downgraded for inconsistency).

1 finding from 1 review

Intervention not reported

Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 7: non-stable (mobile) restoration

The intervention led to higher composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 7:…; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) vs Reference standard (histology; some ICDAS/radiography)

Proximal caries detection: sensitivity · Extracted human teeth (in vitro); permanent teeth, proximal (approximal) surfaces

In vitro, QLF pooled sensitivity for proximal caries detection was 0.83 (3 permanent-teeth studies; no primary-dentition data; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Country-level income inequality (Gini index) vs Lower vs higher income inequality categories

Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community

Older adults in countries with relative income equality (low Gini index) had markedly higher OHRQoL (91.3, 95% CI 90.0 to 92.6) than those in less equal countries; the difference by Gini index was statistically significant (ungraded).

4 findings from 1 review
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Intervention not reported

Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 2: loss of dental hard substance adjacent to the restoration

The intervention showed no clear difference in composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 2: loss…; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Partial pulpotomy with permanent restoration after 7-14 days vs No comparator

Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Adults aged 18 years or older with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure

Permanent restoration after 7-14 days was associated with a pooled success rate of 73.6%.

1 finding from 1 review