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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.
75,239 questions in 5,342 reviews
current versionsNo studies 15,213 · 20.2%Ungraded 10,323 · 13.7%Very low 17,528 · 23.3%Low 17,951 · 23.9%Moderate 11,190 · 14.9%High 3,034 · 4%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Mesoporous silica (SiO2) vs Calcium phosphate agent (e.g., CPP-ACP, Ca/P-PILP, niobophosphate) Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · Artificial caries-affected dentin (ACAD) in extracted permanent human teeth (in vitro) · 24 h (immediate), Self-Etch + chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD -0.699 [-7.633, 6.234] | 0 studies | Moderate |
Intervention NR Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 4: marginal discoloration · HDI: Low Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 1.17 [0.35, 3.87] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Anticaries vaccine or antibody (DNA, recombinant protein, nanoparticle-adjuvanted, live-vector, plant-based, or passive IgY immunization) targeting S. mutans vs Control (unvaccinated / empty vector / PBS / placebo animals) Dental caries development · Animal caries models (mice, rats, hamsters) challenged/colonized with Streptococcus mutans; one transgenic-plant… Assessing the Efficacy and Immunogenicity of Anticaries Vaccine-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2025) | RR 0.53 [0.46, 0.62] | NR | Ungraded |
Genetically predicted dental caries (DMFS index) vs Reference (1-SD lower genetically predicted DMFS) Osteoporosis · European-ancestry adults · Lifelong genetic liability, SVMR (IVW), total causal effect From teeth to bone: dental caries has causal effects on osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture. (2025) | OR 1.156 [0.994, 1.343] | 483725 participants | Ungraded |
Higher drinking-water fluoride exposure vs Null / lowest drinking-water fluoride exposure (reference) Risk of fractures (any site) · General population (both sexes, all ages) · Long-term / lifetime fluoride exposure, Drinking-water fluoride 2.0 mg/L vs null The association of fluoride exposure with bone density and fracture risk: a dose-response meta-analysis. (2025) | RR 1.06 [0.80, 1.41] | 4 studies | Ungraded |
Partial pulpotomy (PP) with calcium hydroxide vs Direct pulp capping (DPC) with calcium hydroxide Clinical and radiographic success rate · Adults (>=18 y) with mature permanent teeth, carious exposure and normal/reversibly inflamed pulp · 5 years Partial pulpotomy for carious pulp exposure in adult mature permanent teeth: a systematic review and… (2025) | Success rate (%) 11.1 vs 5.9 | 1 study · 44 participants | Ungraded |
Partial pulpotomy vs Full (complete) pulpotomy Postoperative pain (VAS) · Mature permanent (molar) teeth with deep caries and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis (spontaneous pain) · 24 h to 7 days The effectiveness of partial pulpotomy compared with full pulpotomy in managing deep caries in vital… (2025) | Jassal: no significant difference in postoperative pain between PP and FP at 24 h, 48 h and 7 days (preoperative PP 7.44+/-0.96 vs FP 7.52+/-1.08, p>.879). Ramani: no difference in pain incidence at 24 h (p=.496) but… | 2 studies · 156 participants | Ungraded |
Replacement of the defective restoration vs Repair of the defective restoration Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 1: partial loss or fracture of the restoration · Dentists managing a defective direct amalgam restoration (posterior occlusal Class I; standardized vignette of a… · Not applicable (single time-point survey, June to October 2023), HDI: Medium Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 7.13 [4.90, 10.35] | 2 studies · 353 participants | Ungraded |
Children with dental caries vs Children without dental caries (caries-free) Haemoglobin level · Children and adolescents (0-18 years; most included reviews focused on <6 years) Association Between Iron Deficiency Anemia and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Umbrella Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD -2.20 [-4.59, 0.19] | 3 studies | Very low |
Intervention NR Sensitivity · Imaging modality: Periapical radiographs Examining the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence for detecting dental caries across a range of… (2025) | Sensitivity 0.86 [0.83, 0.90] | 12 studies | Ungraded |
Dental caries (ECC/severe ECC) as exposure/grouping vs Caries-free controls Relative abundance of Veillonella spp. · Individuals assessed for dental caries, predominantly children with early childhood caries (ECC) or severe ECC (age… A systematic review of Streptococcus Mutans and Veillonellae species interactions in dental caries… (2025) | No meta-analysis was performed (too few studies). Across 7 studies the direction was inconsistent: Veillonella spp. relative abundance was higher in caries than in caries-free subjects in some studies (Setiawan 2020:… | 3 studies · 146 participants | Ungraded |
Orofacial cleft (cleft lip and/or palate) as exposure vs Healthy controls without cleft Plaque Index (PI) · Individuals assessed for periodontal health (mainly children and adolescents, age >2 years) Oral health in patients with cleft lip and palate: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of… (2025) | MD 0.29 [0.24, 0.34] | 6 studies · 1618 participants | Low |
Intervention NR Inhibition of mixed-species S. mutans-C. albicans biofilm and C. albicans virulence-gene (HWP1/ALS1/ALS3) downregulation · In vitro (interkingdom) Postbiotics and Dental Caries: A Systematic Review. (2025) | no estimate extracted | 1 study | Ungraded |
Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) vs Reference standard (histology; some ICDAS/radiography) Occlusal caries detection: sensitivity · Extracted human teeth (in vitro); permanent and primary teeth, occlusal surfaces · Permanent dentition Diagnostic accuracy of quantitative light-induced fluorescence in detecting caries of various types and… (2025) | Sensitivity 0.91 | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 4: marginal discoloration · Coverage: Not covering Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 1.95 [1.50, 2.54] | NR | Ungraded |
Calcium phosphate agent (e.g., CPP-ACP, Ca/P-PILP, niobophosphate) vs No biomimetic remineralization (control) Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · Artificial caries-affected dentin (ACAD) in extracted permanent human teeth (in vitro) · 24 h (immediate), Self-Etch + chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD 1.539 [-1.738, 4.817] | 1 study | Moderate |
Simple childhood caries prediction models with at least two predictors vs No competing model Dental caries discrimination (area under the curve) · Children and adolescents (≤18 years) · Validation assessment; prediction horizon not reported, Kim (2018) Risk prediction models for dental caries in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025) | AUC 0.782 [0.681, 0.884] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Calcium phosphate agent (e.g., CPP-ACP, Ca/P-PILP, niobophosphate) vs Fluoride agent (e.g., NaF/SDF/KF/CaF2) Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · Artificial caries-affected dentin (ACAD) in extracted permanent human teeth (in vitro) · 24 h (immediate), Etch-and-Rinse + biological ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD 17.012 [11.920, 22.103] | 2 studies | Moderate |
Simple childhood caries prediction models with at least two predictors vs No competing model Dental caries discrimination (area under the curve) · Children and adolescents (≤18 years) · Validation assessment; prediction horizon not reported Risk prediction models for dental caries in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025) | AUC 0.91 [0.87, 0.94] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Partial pulpotomy with tri-calcium silicate material (MTA or Biodentine) vs Partial pulpotomy with calcium hydroxide (CH) Clinical and radiographic success rate · Adults (>=18 y) with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure (irreversible pulpitis or normal/reversible) · >=1 year (subgroups at 1, 2, 5 years), Capping material (tri-calcium silicate vs calcium hydroxide) Partial pulpotomy for carious pulp exposure in adult mature permanent teeth: a systematic review and… (2025) | MD 52.5 | NR | Ungraded |
Genetically predicted DMFS (dental caries) vs Lower genetically predicted DMFS Osteoporosis · European GWAS participants · SVMR MR-Egger From teeth to bone: dental caries has causal effects on osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture. (2025) | OR 1.329 [0.991, 1.782] | 483725 participants | Ungraded |
Ion-releasing restorations (IRR): RMGIC, HVGIC, GIC, compomer/PMRC, giomer vs Composite resin (CR), including bulk-fill composite Proper surface staining · Children receiving dental restorations (aged 4-11 years; primary teeth; Class I/II/V cavities) · 1.5 to 2 years Clinical effectiveness of ion-releasing restorations compared to composite restorations in pediatric dental… (2025) | RR 1.07 [0.87, 1.31] | 2 studies · 131 participants | Moderate |
Genetically predicted periodontitis vs Lower genetically predicted periodontitis liability Postmenopausal osteoporosis with pathological fracture · European GWAS participants · SVMR MR-Egger From teeth to bone: dental caries has causal effects on osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture. (2025) | OR 0.934 [0.786, 1.111] | 281786 participants | Ungraded |
Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy individuals without anorexia nervosa (age- and sex-matched controls) Salivary alpha-amylase · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general… The influence of anorexia nervosa on oral health and related parameters potentially relevant to orthodontic… (2025) | MD 6.32 [-6.14, 18.79] | 4 studies · 226 participants | Low |
Partial pulpotomy with immediate (same-visit) permanent restoration vs Partial pulpotomy with delayed permanent restoration (7-14 days or >14 days) Clinical and radiographic success rate · Adults (>=18 y) with mature permanent teeth and deep carious pulp exposure · >=1 year, Timing of permanent restoration: immediate vs >14 days Partial pulpotomy for carious pulp exposure in adult mature permanent teeth: a systematic review and… (2025) | MD 66.7 | NR | Ungraded |
E-cigarette aerosol / e-liquid exposure (flavored and unflavored; nicotine and non-nicotine) vs Unexposed controls / unflavored e-liquid / conventional cigarette smoke Cariogenic and commensal oral bacteria (S. mutans and commensal streptococci growth, adhesion, biofilm) · Oral bacteria (streptococci), dental hard tissue (enamel/dentin) and e-liquids studied in vitro/ex vivo (with a few… The effects of electronic smoking on dental caries and proinflammatory markers: a systematic review and… (2025) | Narrative synthesis of 9 studies (Table 2). E-cigarette aerosol/e-liquid at higher concentrations (>=5%) and flavored liquids inhibited commensal oral streptococci and allowed S. mutans to proliferate, with increased… | 9 studies | Ungraded |
Genetically predicted periodontitis vs Reference (lower genetically predicted periodontitis liability) Fracture of forearm · European-ancestry adults · Lifelong genetic liability, SVMR (IVW), total causal effect From teeth to bone: dental caries has causal effects on osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture. (2025) | OR 0.990 [0.951, 1.031] | 490889 participants | Ungraded |
Genetically predicted dental caries (DMFS index) vs Reference (1-SD lower genetically predicted DMFS) Postmenopausal osteoporosis with pathological fracture · Postmenopausal women (European ancestry) · Lifelong genetic liability, SVMR (IVW), total causal effect From teeth to bone: dental caries has causal effects on osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture. (2025) | OR 1.343 [0.948, 1.901] | 281786 participants | Ungraded |
Flavonoids (e.g., quercetin, proanthocyanidin) vs Fluoride agent (e.g., NaF/SDF/KF/CaF2) Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · Artificial caries-affected dentin (ACAD) in extracted permanent human teeth (in vitro) · 24 h (immediate), Self-Etch + chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD 5.205 [-1.809, 12.219] | 0 studies | Moderate |
HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals Dental caries severity (dmft index, primary dentition) · Children and adolescents under 18 years with HIV · Not specified (case-control), Case-control studies; dmft index Association between antiretroviral therapy and dental caries in children and adolescents with HIV: a… (2025) | MD 1.53 [1.39, 1.67] | 2 studies · 185 participants | Very low |
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Placebo Treatment success (caries lesion arrest or restoration survival) · Children (aged 3-11 y) with cavitated caries lesions in primary teeth · 6 months, 6-month follow-up Comparative success of minimally invasive treatments for cavitated caries in primary teeth: a network… (2025) | OR 33.62 [3.01, 375.92] | 44 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 7: non-stable (mobile) restoration · HDI: High Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 22.43 [12.83, 39.24] | 7 studies | Ungraded |
Higher drinking-water fluoride exposure vs Null / lowest drinking-water fluoride exposure (reference) Risk of femoral fractures · General population (both sexes, all ages) · Long-term / lifetime fluoride exposure, Drinking-water fluoride 0.5 mg/L vs null The association of fluoride exposure with bone density and fracture risk: a dose-response meta-analysis. (2025) | RR 0.86 [0.71, 1.05] | NR | Ungraded |
Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence) Early childhood caries (ECC), prevalence · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa · Sampling: simple random Prevalence and risk factors for early childhood caries in North Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025) | Prevalence 67 | 5 studies | Ungraded |
Electronic cigarette use vs Non-smokers IL-1β level · People who use electronic cigarettes · GCF The effects of electronic smoking on dental caries and proinflammatory markers: a systematic review and… (2025) | Cohen's d 1.58 [-0.79, 3.94] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy individuals without anorexia nervosa (age- and sex-matched controls) Unstimulated salivary flow rate · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general… The influence of anorexia nervosa on oral health and related parameters potentially relevant to orthodontic… (2025) | MD -0.27 [-0.31, -0.24] | 4 studies · 316 participants | Moderate |
Partial pulpotomy with tri-calcium silicate material vs Partial pulpotomy with calcium hydroxide Clinical and radiographic success rate · Adults aged 18 years or older with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure · Meta-regression Partial pulpotomy for carious pulp exposure in adult mature permanent teeth: a systematic review and… (2025) | Meta-regression effect (%) 37 | NR | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Brushing independence and skill retention · Gesture-based motion capture game The Application of Gamification in Children's Oral Health Management: Systematic Review. (2025) | Narrative (P value) Enhanced brushing independence and skill retention after gesture-based motion capture game (P<.001) | 1 study | Ungraded |
Partial pulpotomy vs Full (complete) pulpotomy Clinical and radiographic success (composite) · Mature permanent (molar) teeth with deep caries and symptoms indicative of irreversible pulpitis (spontaneous pain) · 1 year (12 months) The effectiveness of partial pulpotomy compared with full pulpotomy in managing deep caries in vital… (2025) | FP 90%, PP 83% (pooled unadjusted 1-year success; no significant difference; no meta-analysis) | 2 studies · 135 participants | High |
AI systems for caries detection/segmentation on dental X-ray images (predominantly convolutional neural networks; also ANNs, DNNs, DCNN, FCNN, SVMs, decision trees, random forests; e.g. EfficientNet, ResNet, AlexNet) vs Human dentists / trained dental professionals or traditional radiographic interpretation (reference standard / reference models) Diagnostic accuracy (prevalence of accuracy) · Patients undergoing dental X-ray (radiographic) imaging for caries detection · Digital panoramic X-rays (Fig 4b) Accuracy of artificial intelligence in caries detection: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025) | ~70 | 1 study | Ungraded |
Genetically predicted periodontitis vs Lower genetically predicted periodontitis liability Osteoporosis · European GWAS participants · SVMR IVW From teeth to bone: dental caries has causal effects on osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture. (2025) | OR 0.998 [0.933, 1.067] | 483725 participants | Ungraded |
HEMA/EGDMA-based desensitizer vs Fluoride agent (e.g., NaF/SDF/KF/CaF2) Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · Artificial caries-affected dentin (ACAD) in extracted permanent human teeth (in vitro) · 24 h (immediate), Self-Etch + chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD 2.500 [-2.603, 7.603] | 1 study | Low |
AI algorithms (predominantly CNN/deep learning) as index test vs Dental expert / visual-tactile clinical assessment (reference standard) Negative likelihood ratio · Patients undergoing dental caries detection on dental images (teeth/surfaces across imaging modalities) · Cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy (index test vs reference standard), Overall (all imaging modalities pooled) Examining the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence for detecting dental caries across a range of… (2025) | LR- 0.168 [0.138, 0.205] | 20 studies · 29423 participants | Ungraded |
Dental caries vs Without dental caries Lacunar stroke · Adults The contribution of oral infectious diseases in lacunar stroke based on meta-analysis and Mendelian… (2025) | No studies addressing the association between dental caries and LS were identified. | 0 studies | No studies |
Co-presence of Veillonella spp. with Streptococcus mutans vs Streptococcus mutans acidogenesis without Veillonella spp. modulation (conceptual) Streptococcus mutans acid (lactic acid) production and cariogenic potential · Oral biofilm of children/individuals at risk of dental caries A systematic review of Streptococcus Mutans and Veillonellae species interactions in dental caries… (2025) | Narrative synthesis (no effect estimate): Veillonella spp. can inhibit acid production by S. mutans and compete for substrate by utilizing lactic acid, a by-product of S. mutans metabolism, as a carbon source,… | NR | Ungraded |
Replacement of the defective restoration vs Repair of the defective restoration Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 6: superficial discoloration · Dentists managing a defective direct resin composite restoration (posterior occlusal Class I; standardized vignette of… · Not applicable (single time-point survey, June to October 2023), Overall (all 21 countries pooled) Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 0.28 [0.20, 0.38] | 21 studies · 3680 participants | Ungraded |
Frequent sugary food intake at night vs No nighttime sugary intake Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa · At night only Prevalence and risk factors for early childhood caries in North Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025) | OR 1.104 [1.167, 2.826] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Country-level dental caries prevalence (Global Burden of Disease) vs Low vs high dental caries prevalence Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL sum score, transformed 0-100) · Community-dwelling elderly persons aged ≥60 years · Low dental caries prevalence Association between oral health-related quality of life and structural determinants of health among elderly… (2025) | MEAN 81.5 [76.5, 86.6] | NR | Ungraded |
Partial pulpotomy vs Full (complete) pulpotomy Patient- and clinical-reported outcomes (tooth survival, clinical/radiographic success, pain) · Permanent teeth with deep caries and reversible pulpitis (non-spontaneous pain) The effectiveness of partial pulpotomy compared with full pulpotomy in managing deep caries in vital… (2025) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Very high Human Development Index (HDI >=0.800) vs High Human Development Index (HDI 0.700-0.799) Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022) · Cross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022), Very high HDI (>=0.800) Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European… (2025) | MEAN 1.73 | NR | Ungraded |