What do systematic reviews say?

Radiographic imaging methods (any: analogue radiographs, digital radiographs, or CBCT) vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, or enhanced visual examination)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Restorations (secondary caries)
  Pre-specified heterogeneity investigation of teeth with previously applied restorations (secondary caries): no study intentionally included restored teeth in its sample. Studies evaluating secondary caries were…
  0 studies
  No studies found

Special health care needs vs Not applicable

Dental caries prevalence was 85.2%.

• Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade. 2021 All outcomes

  Overall
  Prevalence 85.2
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

• Prevalence of dental caries in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2019 All outcomes

  Sensitivity analysis: one-study-removed (leave-one-out)
  Prevalence 0.65 to 0.70 (range)
  10 studies
  GRADE not reported

Intervention not reported

The pooled mean DMFT/dmft (caries severity) was 5.7 (SD 3.6) across 5 studies; certainty not graded.

• Prevalence of dental caries in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. 2019 All outcomes

  Children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes; 10 studies from Asia, Europe, North America and South America (published 1997-2017)
  MEAN 5.7
  5 studies
  GRADE not reported

Any form of one-to-one oral hygiene advice (OHA) vs No OHA

It is very uncertain whether any form of one-to-one oral hygiene advice (OHA) changes dental caries compared with no OHA (very low certainty).

• One‐to‐one oral hygiene advice provided in a dental setting for oral health 2018 · Cochrane All outcomes

  4 to 12 months
  SoF: 1 study in adults reported only 'small and statistically insignificant changes' but no usable data; the other study on infants provided evidence of a benefit for OHA at 8 and 12 months but not at 4 months.…
  2 studies · 244 participants
  Very low

Personalised one-to-one OHA vs Routine one-to-one OHA

• One‐to‐one oral hygiene advice provided in a dental setting for oral health 2018 · Cochrane All outcomes

  2 months
  SoF: 1 study in children between the ages of 1 year and 6 years old reported 'statistically significant (P < 0.05) improvement' for personalised OHA but did not report usable data. Results: Lepore 2011 not estimable…
  1 study · 69 participants
  Very low

Self-management (self-administered/self-monitored OHA) vs Professional OHA

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• One‐to‐one oral hygiene advice provided in a dental setting for oral health 2018 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No studies were found that looked at dental caries.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Enhanced one-to-one OHA vs Routine one-to-one OHA

• One‐to‐one oral hygiene advice provided in a dental setting for oral health 2018 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months
  SoF: 1 study in adults did not report usable data. Results: Bali 1999 (DMFT) not estimable (no usable data).
  1 study · 70 participants
  Very low

Electronic caries monitor (ECM) device (ECM II / ECM III / ECM IV) vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, or enhanced visual examination)

• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies)
  ECM (4 studies, 475 tooth surfaces): sensitivity ranged from 0.61 to 0.98 (0.61-0.65 in three studies; 0.98 in the most recent ECM IV study). No evidence of a difference in accuracy by device type (Chi2=0.05, df=1,…
  4 studies
  GRADE not reported

Electronic caries monitor (ECM) device (ECM II / ECM III / ECM IV) vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, or enhanced visual examination)

• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies)
  ECM (4 studies, 475 tooth surfaces): specificity ranged from 0.73 to 0.96.
  4 studies
  GRADE not reported

Electrical conductance devices (electronic caries monitor (ECM) and/or CarieScan Pro), used as an adjunct to clinical oral examination vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, or enhanced visual examination)

• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Permanent dentition
  Permanent dentition (4 studies): sensitivity ranged from 0.55 to 0.65.
  4 studies
  GRADE not reported
• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Primary dentition
  Primary dentition (3 studies): sensitivity ranged from 0.91 to 0.93. No evidence of a difference in accuracy by dentition (removing accuracy covariate: Chi2=3.15, df=1, P=0.08).
  3 studies
  GRADE not reported

Electrical conductance devices (electronic caries monitor (ECM) and/or CarieScan Pro), used as an adjunct to clinical oral examination vs Reference standard: histology or enhanced visual examination (with or without radiographs)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies)
  No eligible studies. All included studies assessed occlusal surfaces only; smooth surfaces were a planned surface subgroup with no data.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Electrical conductance devices (electronic caries monitor (ECM) and/or CarieScan Pro), used as an adjunct to clinical oral examination vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, or enhanced visual examination)

• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Permanent dentition
  Permanent dentition (4 studies): specificity ranged from 0.73 to 1.00.
  4 studies
  GRADE not reported
• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Primary dentition
  Primary dentition (3 studies): specificity ranged from 0 to 0.92.
  3 studies
  GRADE not reported

Electrical conductance devices (electronic caries monitor (ECM) and/or CarieScan Pro), used as an adjunct to clinical oral examination vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, or enhanced visual examination)

• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies)
  Diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) 15.65 [1.43, 171.15]
  7 studies
  Very low

Electrical conductance devices (electronic caries monitor (ECM) and/or CarieScan Pro), used as an adjunct to clinical oral examination vs Reference standard: histology or enhanced visual examination (with or without radiographs)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Up to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies)
  No eligible studies. All included studies assessed occlusal surfaces only ('All studies assessed the use of the electrical conductance devices on occlusal surfaces.'); proximal surfaces were a planned surface subgroup…
  0 studies
  No studies found

Package of oral health education/promotion including oral hygiene advice for pregnant women, mothers, infants and young children, plus dietary and feeding practice advice for infants and young children vs usual care

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Birth to 6 yrs
  Plutzer 2008 reported dental attendance as cumulative child-visit categories (other data): intervention children more likely to have 1-2 visits, no difference for 3-4 visits, less likely for >=5 visits.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Veillonella spp. abundance

Veillonella spp. predicted future caries among children without a caries history, but no quantitative effect estimate was reported.

• A systematic review of Streptococcus Mutans and Veillonellae species interactions in dental caries progression:… 2025 All outcomes

  USA
  Among children without a previous history of caries, Veillonella spp., but not S. mutans or other acid-producing species, predicted future caries.
  1 study · NA (subgroup without prior caries history; n not reported) participants
  GRADE not reported

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Placebo, control, and/or other interventions

SDF showed no clear advantage for caries arrestment at the surface level.

• The role of silver diamine fluoride as dental caries preventive and arresting agent: a systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  12 months to 18 months
  OR 1.03 [0.47, 2.27]
  3 studies · 5394 participants
  Moderate

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Placebo, control, and/or other interventions

SDF showed a higher caries-arrestment proportion at the individual level, but the reported difference was not statistically significant.

• The role of silver diamine fluoride as dental caries preventive and arresting agent: a systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  3 weeks to 12 months
  OR 3.86 [0.34, 43.96]
  5 studies · 720 participants
  Low

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Placebo, control, and/or other interventions

SDF showed a higher caries-free proportion at the tooth level, but the reported difference was not statistically significant.

• The role of silver diamine fluoride as dental caries preventive and arresting agent: a systematic review and… 2024 All outcomes

  6 months to 12 months
  OR 1.74 [0.88, 3.46]
  5 studies · 743 participants
  Moderate