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Each row is one question a systematic review asked: who, what, compared with what, and which outcome, with the effect it found and how certain that is. Words match anywhere in the field.
793 questions in 32 reviews · Periodontology
current versionsNo studies 148 · 18.7%Ungraded 429 · 54.1%Very low 137 · 17.3%Low 53 · 6.7%Moderate 14 · 1.8%High 12 · 1.5%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, alone or with antimicrobials) vs Alternative (less intensive) periodontal treatment, alone or with placebo Gestational age (preterm birth < 37 weeks) · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination · SRP vs alternative mechanical treatment Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | RR 0.87 [0.46, 1.67] | 4 studies · 1168 participants | Very low |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, alone or with antimicrobials) vs Alternative (less intensive) periodontal treatment, alone or with placebo Maternal mortality · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Maternal mortality: Not reported for this comparison. | 0 studies | No studies |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Mean birth weight (grams) · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Eight studies (5120 participants) reported birth weight in grams; data not pooled due to skewness; mean difference ranged between -52.8 and 476.6 grams. | 8 studies · 5120 participants | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Bleeding on probing · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Reported as a secondary periodontal outcome (Analysis 1.9); results not meta-analysed due to considerable heterogeneity (I2 91% to 100%); reduction in favour of periodontal treatment. | 6 studies | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, alone or with antimicrobials) vs Alternative (less intensive) periodontal treatment, alone or with placebo Gingival index · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | MD -28.00 [-144.13, 88.13] | 1 study · 53 participants | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, alone or with antimicrobials) vs Alternative (less intensive) periodontal treatment, alone or with placebo Adverse effects of therapy · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Adverse effects of therapy: Not reported for this comparison. | 0 studies | No studies |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, alone or with antimicrobials) vs Alternative (less intensive) periodontal treatment, alone or with placebo Preterm birth < 35 weeks · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Preterm births < 35 weeks reported in four studies across three subcomparisons; none of the subcomparisons showed a difference; SRP versus alternative mechanical treatment not pooled due to considerable heterogeneity;… | 4 studies | Very low |
Chlorhexidine mouthrinse (any concentration; 0.05% to 0.2%) used in conjunction with mechanical oral hygiene procedures vs Placebo/control mouthrinse, or no mouthrinse (mechanical oral hygiene alone); controls pooled (protocol's separate comparisons versus mechanical oral hygiene alone and versus placebo/control merged) Other adverse effects (taste disturbance, oral mucosal effects, burning sensation) · Children or adults with gingivitis or periodontitis capable of performing normal mechanical oral hygiene procedures… Chlorhexidine mouthrinse as an adjunctive treatment for gingival health (2017) · Cochrane | SoF narrative row (Other adverse effects): 22 trials reported at least 1 adverse effect apart from extrinsic tooth staining and calculus formation in the chlorhexidine rinse arms. The adverse effects most commonly… | 22 studies | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Perinatal mortality (including fetal and neonatal deaths up to the first 28 days after birth) · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | RR 0.85 [0.51, 1.43] | 7 studies · 5320 participants | Very low |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Clinical attachment level (change) · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Reported as a secondary periodontal outcome (Analysis 1.7); results not meta-analysed due to considerable heterogeneity (I2 91% to 100%); reduction in favour of periodontal treatment. | 4 studies | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Probing depth (change) · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Reported as a secondary periodontal outcome (Analysis 1.6); results not meta-analysed due to considerable heterogeneity (I2 91% to 100%); reduction in favour of periodontal treatment. | 4 studies | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, alone or with antimicrobials) vs Alternative (less intensive) periodontal treatment, alone or with placebo Probing depth · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | MD -0.93 [-1.12, -0.74] | 1 study · 53 participants | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Small for gestational age · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | RR 0.97 [0.81, 1.16] | 3 studies · 3610 participants | Low |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, alone or with antimicrobials) vs Alternative (less intensive) periodontal treatment, alone or with placebo Gestational age (preterm birth < 37 weeks) · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination · SRP + antimicrobial vs SRP + placebo Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | RR 3.08 [1.15, 8.20] | 1 study · 243 participants | Very low |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, alone or with antimicrobials) vs Alternative (less intensive) periodontal treatment, alone or with placebo Small for gestational age · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Small for gestational age: Not reported for this comparison. | 0 studies | No studies |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Birth weight (low birth weight < 2500 g) · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | RR 0.67 [0.48, 0.95] | 7 studies · 3470 participants | Low |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Maternal mortality · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | 0% in both groups; Not estimated; 2134 participants (4 RCTs) | 4 studies · 2134 participants | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Plaque index · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | Reported as a secondary periodontal outcome (Analysis 1.8); results not meta-analysed due to considerable heterogeneity (I2 91% to 100%); reduction in favour of periodontal treatment. | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (scaling and root planing, polishing, or surgery), alone or with oral hygiene counselling, antiseptics, or antimicrobials vs No treatment Pre-eclampsia · Pregnant women considered to have periodontal disease (gingivitis or periodontitis) after dental examination Treating periodontal disease for preventing adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women (2017) · Cochrane | RR 1.10 [0.74, 1.62] | 3 studies · 2946 participants | Very low |
Chlorhexidine mouthrinse (any concentration; 0.05% to 0.2%) used in conjunction with mechanical oral hygiene procedures vs Placebo/control mouthrinse, or no mouthrinse (mechanical oral hygiene alone); controls pooled (protocol's separate comparisons versus mechanical oral hygiene alone and versus placebo/control merged) Extrinsic tooth staining (various staining indices) · Children or adults with gingivitis or periodontitis capable of performing normal mechanical oral hygiene procedures… · 6 months Chlorhexidine mouthrinse as an adjunctive treatment for gingival health (2017) · Cochrane | SMD 1.54 [1.22, 1.86] | 4 studies · 323 participants | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine mouthrinse (any concentration; 0.05% to 0.2%) used in conjunction with mechanical oral hygiene procedures vs Placebo/control mouthrinse, or no mouthrinse (mechanical oral hygiene alone); controls pooled (protocol's separate comparisons versus mechanical oral hygiene alone and versus placebo/control merged) Dental plaque (various plaque indices) · Children or adults with gingivitis or periodontitis capable of performing normal mechanical oral hygiene procedures… · 4 to 6 weeks Chlorhexidine mouthrinse as an adjunctive treatment for gingival health (2017) · Cochrane | SMD -1.45 [-1.90, -1.00] | 12 studies · 950 participants | High |
Chlorhexidine mouthrinse (any concentration; 0.05% to 0.2%) used in conjunction with mechanical oral hygiene procedures vs Placebo/control mouthrinse, or no mouthrinse (mechanical oral hygiene alone); controls pooled (protocol's separate comparisons versus mechanical oral hygiene alone and versus placebo/control merged) Extrinsic tooth staining (various staining indices) · Children or adults with gingivitis or periodontitis capable of performing normal mechanical oral hygiene procedures… · 4 to 6 weeks Chlorhexidine mouthrinse as an adjunctive treatment for gingival health (2017) · Cochrane | SMD 1.07 [0.80, 1.34] | 8 studies · 415 participants | Moderate |
Powered toothbrush, side-to-side action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD 0.02 [-0.21, 0.26] | 3 studies · 272 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, ionic action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.57 [-0.87, -0.27] | 3 studies · 186 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, ionic action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | MD -0.01 [-0.04, 0.02] | 2 studies · 116 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, ionic action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | MD -0.36 [-0.59, -0.13] | 1 study · 64 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush (any mode of action) vs Manual toothbrush Dependability/reliability (mechanical failure) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | Two trials reported mechanical failure of powered toothbrushes (1 of 48; 4 of 20). | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush (any mode of action) vs Manual toothbrush Calculus · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | Three trials reported on calculus: two no significant difference; one favoured the powered brush at six months (P<0.01). | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, rotation oscillation action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.66 [-1.28, -0.03] | 7 studies · 527 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, counter oscillation action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | MD -0.27 [-0.48, -0.07] | 2 studies · 69 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, circular action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.02 [-0.37, 0.33] | 2 studies · 128 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush (any mode of action) vs Manual toothbrush Staining · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | Three trials reported no difference in tooth staining between manual and powered brushes. | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, side-to-side action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD 0.10 [-0.14, 0.34] | 3 studies · 272 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, ultrasonic action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.99 [-1.21, -0.76] | 5 studies · 354 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, side-to-side action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.27 [-0.77, 0.23] | 7 studies · 570 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, unknown/other action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | Unknown/other action vs manual, gingivitis at >3 months: 1 trial; totals not selected. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, counter oscillation action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD 0.01 [-0.30, 0.31] | 4 studies · 172 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush (any mode of action) vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.43 [-0.60, -0.25] | 44 studies · 3345 participants | Moderate |
Powered toothbrush, unknown/other action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | Unknown/other action vs manual, gingivitis at 1 to 3 months: 3 trials; totals not selected (data presented in forest plots but not pooled). | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush (any mode of action) vs Manual toothbrush Adverse events (soft tissue trauma) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SoF 'Adverse events' row (narrative): There was no apparent relationship between the use of powered toothbrushes and soft tissue trauma. In part this finding was due to the very small number of adverse events reported… | 40 studies | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, unknown/other action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | Unknown/other action vs manual, plaque at 1 to 3 months: 2 trials; totals not selected (data presented in forest plots but not pooled owing to lack of clarity about the toothbrushes). | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, counter oscillation action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | MD -0.03 [-0.15, 0.10] | 4 studies · 184 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, rotation oscillation action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.49 [-0.73, -0.26] | 21 studies · 1479 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush (any mode of action) vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.50 [-0.70, -0.31] | 40 studies · 2871 participants | Moderate |
Powered toothbrush, ultrasonic action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | Ultrasonic vs manual, plaque at >3 months: one trial (Terezhalmy 1995a); no statistically significant difference; totals not selected (no pooled estimate presented in this version). | 1 study · 46 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, rotation oscillation action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.53 [-0.74, -0.31] | 20 studies · 1404 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, counter oscillation action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.19 [-0.66, 0.29] | 2 studies · 69 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, ionic action vs Manual toothbrush Plaque score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | MD -0.50 [-0.74, -0.26] | 1 study · 64 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, rotation oscillation action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (>3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Long term (>3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.35 [-0.50, -0.20] | 8 studies · 684 participants | Ungraded |
Powered toothbrush, circular action vs Manual toothbrush Gingivitis score (1 to 3 months) · Individuals of any age with no reported disability that might affect toothbrushing (including people wearing… · Short term (1 to 3 months) Powered versus manual toothbrushing for oral health (2014) · Cochrane | SMD -0.18 [-0.53, 0.17] | 2 studies · 128 participants | Ungraded |