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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. Every word you type has to appear somewhere in the question, and the closest matches are ranked first.
10,375 questions in 429 reviews · Oral Health
current versionsNo studies 1,344 · 13%Ungraded 6,832 · 65.9%Very low 1,228 · 11.8%Low 613 · 5.9%Moderate 290 · 2.8%High 68 · 0.7%
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Dietary supplements (lycopene) vs Placebo Change in QoL - anxiety (surrogate marker) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · short-term (up to 3 months), lycopene Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | MD -2.85 [-5.28, -0.42] | 1 study · 50 participants | Very low |
Adhesively bonded amalgam restorations in conventional preparations utilising deliberate retention (all bonding agents) vs Traditional non‐bonded amalgam restorations Post‐insertion sensitivity or pain assessed by a validated pain scale · Adults and adolescents with permanent posterior molar and premolar teeth suitable for Class I and II, but excluding… · Baseline and 24 months Adhesively bonded versus non‐bonded amalgam restorations for dental caries (2016) · Cochrane | Post‐insertion sensitivity or pain assessed by a validated pain scale - not measured | See comment | See comment | Not estimable | - | See comment | No study addressed this outcome | 1 study · 31 participants | Ungraded |
Dietary supplements (alpha lipoic acid) vs Placebo Change in taste · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · short-term (up to 3 months) Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | SoF5: No included studies reported change in taste. | 0 studies | No studies |
High-viscosity glass-ionomer cement (HVGIC) fissure sealant placed by press-finger technique vs Resin-based fissure sealant Development of carious lesions on sealed occlusal pits and fissures · Children with fully erupted permanent first molar teeth (mean age about 6 to 8 years) · 36 months Caries-Preventive Effect of High-Viscosity Glass Ionomer and Resin-Based Fissure Sealants on Permanent… (2016) | RR 0.90 [0.49, 1.67] | 3 studies · 600 evaluated sealed teeth participants | Ungraded |
Antidepressants (trazodone) vs Placebo Change in feeling of dryness · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · short-term (up to 3 months) Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | SoF1: No included studies reported change in feeling of dryness. | 0 studies | No studies |
Laser (Er:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG, or Nd:YAG) vs Conventional mechanical caries removal (standard drill; handpiece with a bur) Need for anaesthesia · Children, adolescents and adults with caries in deciduous and permanent teeth (age 3.5 to 84 years) · during treatment, overall (children and adults) Lasers for caries removal in deciduous and permanent teeth (2016) · Cochrane | RR 0.37 [0.19, 0.72] | 4 studies · 320 participants | Ungraded |
Oral appliance or functional orthopaedic appliance vs Placebo or no treatment Nocturnal symptom: restless sleep (questionnaire) · Children with obstructive sleep apnoea (aged 15 years or younger) · 6 months Oral appliances and functional orthopaedic appliances for obstructive sleep apnoea in children (2016) · Cochrane | RR 0.21 [0.05, 0.84] | 1 study · 23 participants | Very low |
Benzodiazepines (systemic clonazepam) vs Placebo Change in taste · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · short-term (up to 3 months), systemic clonazepam Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | MD -1.00 [-3.11, 1.11] | 1 study · 20 participants | Very low |
Dietary supplements (alpha lipoic acid +/- vitamins) vs Placebo Relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · long-term (>3 to 6 months) Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | MD -0.89 [-2.37, 0.59] | 2 studies · 94 participants | Very low |
Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) vs Placebo or no intervention Patient‐reported pain intensity or pain relief (VAS, NRS or categorical scale) · People of any age undergoing any type of orthodontic treatment Non‐pharmacological interventions for alleviating pain during orthodontic treatment (2016) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Perioperative infraorbital nerve block vs Infiltration of the incision (peri-incisional infiltration) Adverse events · Children up to 13 years of age, undergoing cleft lip repair surgery Infraorbital nerve block for postoperative pain following cleft lip repair in children (2016) · Cochrane | Of the 2 included studies, one study reported no difference between groups (Gaonkar 2004: no adverse events attributable to either technique), and the other study did not report this outcome. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Anticonvulsants (gabapentin 300 mg/day + alpha lipoic acid 600 mg/day) vs Placebo Relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · short-term (up to 3 months), gabapentin with adjunctive ALA Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | SoF2 subgroup. Gabapentin + adjunctive ALA vs placebo forms one of two subgroups of the anticonvulsant symptom-relief estimate (RR 4.00, 2.09 to 7.67); no between-subgroup difference vs gabapentin alone; 100… | 1 study · 40 participants | Very low |
Intervention NR Dental caries prevalence in permanent teeth (cavitated lesions) · Children aged 11-13 years in Latin America and the Caribbean · Studies with data collected after 2000 (21st century) Does the Decline in Caries Prevalence of Latin American and Caribbean Children Continue in the New Century?… (2016) | Prevalence 0.58 [0.54, 0.61] | 63 studies · 95188 participants | Ungraded |
Educational intervention with information and practical components (theoretical oral health education plus practical skills training) for nursing staff and/or residents vs (Optimised) usual care Oral health-related quality of life · Nursing home residents (mean age 78.3 to 86.0 years; more than 66% women; 62.1% to 87.3% with dental prostheses) Oral health educational interventions for nursing home staff and residents (2016) · Cochrane | SoF row 'Oral health-related quality of life': Illustrative risks -, relative effect -, participants/studies -, quality -; Comment: Outcome not reported. Not measured in any included study. | 0 studies | No studies |
Fluoride mouthrinse (any fluoride agent, concentration, volume, frequency or technique; swished and expectorated, not swallowed) vs Placebo or no treatment Proportion of children not remaining caries-free · Children or adolescents aged 16 years or younger at the start of the study · At least 1 year/school year Fluoride mouthrinses for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents (2016) · Cochrane | None of the trials reported data on the proportion of children not remaining caries-free. | 0 studies | No studies |
Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) root-end filling vs Intermediate restorative material (IRM) Healing - 1 year · People requiring retreatment of periapical lesions (failed root canal therapy) · 1 year Endodontic procedures for retreatment of periapical lesions (2016) · Cochrane | RR 1.09 [0.97, 1.21] | 2 studies · 222 participants | Low |
Brain wave music (BWM) vs No special instructions (control) Patient‐reported pain intensity or pain relief (VAS, NRS or categorical scale) · Adults undergoing orthodontic treatment · 3 days Non‐pharmacological interventions for alleviating pain during orthodontic treatment (2016) · Cochrane | MD -23.44 [-36.82, -10.06] | 1 study · 24 participants | Ungraded |
Experimental chewing adjuncts (bite wafers or chewing gum) vs No chewing gum, placebo, or control (no adjunct) Patient‐reported pain intensity or pain relief (VAS, NRS or categorical scale) · Adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment · 1 day, Bite wafer subgroup (median data, opposite direction) Non‐pharmacological interventions for alleviating pain during orthodontic treatment (2016) · Cochrane | Otasevic 2006 (84 participants) presented median values only and reported higher median pain in the bite wafer group than the group who avoided chewing at one day (P = 0.006); data not suitable for meta‐analysis. | 1 study · 84 participants | Ungraded |
Electromagnetic radiation (low-level laser therapy) vs Placebo Change in taste · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · short-term (up to 3 months) Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | SoF6: No included study reported change in taste. | 0 studies | No studies |
Antidepressants (trazodone 200 mg/day) vs Placebo Change in quality of life (QoL) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · short-term (up to 3 months) Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | SoF1. Change in QoL short-term (mean Beck Depression Inventory, 0-63, lower better): this single study narratively reported that both intervention and placebo participants were less depressed at trial completion, but… | 1 study · 37 participants | Very low |
Chemically cured glass ionomer cement vs Light-cured compomer (polyacid-modified composite resin) Band failure (band adhesive loosening) · Patients with full arch fixed orthodontic appliances with bands attached to molars (patients with cleft lip/palate or… · Approximately 12 months (to end of treatment) Adhesives for fixed orthodontic bands (2016) · Cochrane | No meta-analysis. Fricker 1997: failure data not presented in an analysable format (number of bands or failures per person not given). Gillgrass 2001 (98 participants; 140 band pairs): 4 single-band failures with… | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Systemic beta carotene or carotenoids (incl. lycopene) vs Placebo or no treatment Clinical resolution (oral lesion not completely resolved) · People with a diagnosis of oral leukoplakia · 5 to 12 months Interventions for treating oral leukoplakia to prevent oral cancer (2016) · Cochrane | SoF 2, Clinical resolution (not completely resolved) at 5 to 12 months: 'The 3 studies could not be combined in meta-analysis. 2 found benefit for systemic beta carotene, and 1 did not.' No GRADE rating. Effects text… | 3 studies | Ungraded |
High-viscosity glass-ionomer cement (HVGIC) fissure sealant placed by press-finger technique vs Resin-based fissure sealant Development of carious lesions on sealed occlusal pits and fissures · Children with fully erupted permanent first molar teeth (mean age about 6 to 8 years) · 24 months Caries-Preventive Effect of High-Viscosity Glass Ionomer and Resin-Based Fissure Sealants on Permanent… (2016) | RR 1.36 [0.66, 2.78] | 4 studies · 1742 evaluated sealed teeth participants | Ungraded |
Oral appliance or functional orthopaedic appliance vs Placebo or no treatment Daytime symptom: nasal stuffiness (questionnaire) · Children with obstructive sleep apnoea (aged 15 years or younger) · 6 months Oral appliances and functional orthopaedic appliances for obstructive sleep apnoea in children (2016) · Cochrane | RR 0.18 [0.05, 0.69] | 1 study · 23 participants | Very low |
Topical treatments (capsaicin oral rinse) vs Placebo Relief of burning/discomfort (symptom relief; pain intensity) · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · long-term (>3 to 6 months), capsaicin oral rinse Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | MD -2.60 [-5.11, -0.09] | 1 study · 18 participants | Very low |
Oral appliance or functional orthopaedic appliance vs Placebo or no treatment Daytime symptom: school problems (Brouillette questionnaire) · Children with obstructive sleep apnoea (aged 15 years or younger) · 6 months Oral appliances and functional orthopaedic appliances for obstructive sleep apnoea in children (2016) · Cochrane | RR 0.64 [0.11, 3.78] | 1 study · 23 participants | Very low |
Perioperative infraorbital nerve block vs Intravenous analgesia Time to first analgesic requirement · Children up to 13 years of age, undergoing cleft lip repair surgery Infraorbital nerve block for postoperative pain following cleft lip repair in children (2016) · Cochrane | Not pooled (lack of data). Delgado 2005: longer in the infraorbital block group (7.3 +/- 5.1 hours) versus intravenous analgesia (2.8 +/- 2.2 hours) (P < 0.01). Simion 2008: no significant difference (195.32 +/- 71.21… | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Educational intervention with information and practical components (theoretical oral health education plus practical skills training) for nursing staff and/or residents vs (Optimised) usual care Dental plaque · Nursing home residents (mean age 78.3 to 86.0 years; more than 66% women; 62.1% to 87.3% with dental prostheses) · 3 to 60 months Oral health educational interventions for nursing home staff and residents (2016) · Cochrane | MD -0.04 [-0.26, 0.17] | 6 studies · 437 participants | Low |
Low socioeconomic position and adverse behavioural factors vs Higher socioeconomic position and fewer adverse behaviours Systemic inflammation (C-reactive protein) and periodontal disease progression · General-population adults (German cohort) · 5-year follow-up Social-Biological Interactions in Oral Disease: A 'Cells to Society' View. (2016) | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 3300 participants | Ungraded |
Dementia vs Older people without dementia Missing teeth · Older people with dementia Oral health and orofacial pain in older people with dementia: a systematic review with focus on dental hard… (2016) | MEAN Without dementia 9.3 to 28.2; with dementia 10.2 to 27.3 (mean number of missing teeth) | 10 studies | Ungraded |
Oral appliance or functional orthopaedic appliance vs Placebo or no treatment Changes of the width between cuspids and first molars (plaster models) · Children with obstructive sleep apnoea (aged 15 years or younger) Oral appliances and functional orthopaedic appliances for obstructive sleep apnoea in children (2016) · Cochrane | The included study did not assess this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
Dietary supplements (alpha lipoic acid +/- adjunctive ingredients) vs Placebo Adverse effects: increase in blood pressure · People with primary burning mouth syndrome (BMS), that is, oral mucosal pain with no dental or medical cause for such… · short-term (up to 3 months) Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome (2016) · Cochrane | RR 1.00 [0.07, 14.85] | 1 study · 38 participants | Very low |
Surgical loupes (magnification) vs Endoscope Healing - 1 year (loupes vs endoscope) · People requiring retreatment of periapical lesions (failed root canal therapy) · 1 year Endodontic procedures for retreatment of periapical lesions (2016) · Cochrane | RR 1.05 [0.92, 1.20] | 1 study · 62 participants | Low |
Laser (Er:YAG, Er,Cr:YSGG, or Nd:YAG) vs Conventional mechanical caries removal (standard drill; handpiece with a bur) Need for anaesthesia · Children, adolescents and adults with caries in deciduous and permanent teeth (age 3.5 to 84 years) · during treatment, children/adolescents Lasers for caries removal in deciduous and permanent teeth (2016) · Cochrane | RR 0.25 [0.10, 0.65] | 3 studies · 217 participants | Low |
Fluoride mouthrinse (any fluoride agent, concentration, volume, frequency or technique; swished and expectorated, not swallowed) vs Placebo or no treatment Tooth staining/discolouration (adverse effect) · Children or adolescents aged 16 years or younger at the start of the study · At least 1 year/school year Fluoride mouthrinses for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents (2016) · Cochrane | Study 1: "significant difference" in stain score (from the control) in the group using an amine fluoride mouthrinse; "non-significant difference" (from the control) in the group using sodium fluoride. In 2 trials where… | 3 studies | Very low |
Motivational interview plus oral health education vs Oral health education Oral health: Not having seen a dentist in the past year · People with serious mental illness (all included participants had schizophrenia); majority aged 18 to 65 years per… Oral health education (advice and training) for people with serious mental illness (2016) · Cochrane | No study reported useable data | 0 studies | No studies |
Non-specific immunotherapy (recombinant interleukin-2 or BCG cell wall preparation) plus standard therapy vs Standard therapy alone Adverse effects · People with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx · 24 to 70 months, Moderate to severe chills (BCG-CWP, all grades) Interventions for the treatment of oral and oropharyngeal cancers: targeted therapy and immunotherapy (2015) · Cochrane | RR 11.00 [0.67, 179.29] | 1 study · 24 participants | Ungraded |
Single full-coverage metal-ceramic crown over composite core and post vs Direct adhesive composite restoration with post (conventional filling, no crown) Costs for the use of different treatment interventions · People with a permanent tooth that has undergone endodontic (root canal) treatment Single crowns versus conventional fillings for the restoration of root‐filled teeth (2015) · Cochrane | No data were reported nor measured by the study. The abstract confirms no evidence was available for any secondary outcome. | NR | No studies |
Fluoride gel (topically applied; operator- or self-applied; any fluoride agent/concentration; frequency at least once a year) vs Placebo or no treatment Caries increment on permanent whole teeth (D(M)FT), prevented fraction · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or younger (permanent dentition) · Nearest to 3 years Fluoride gels for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents (2015) · Cochrane | PF 0.32 [0.19, 0.46] | 10 studies | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine gel (0.12%) vs No treatment Mutans streptococci prevalence (presence/absence) · Children and adolescents below 18 years at study start (included studies: children from birth to 15 years), with… · 24 months, primary dentition Chlorhexidine treatment for the prevention of dental caries in children and adolescents (2015) · Cochrane | RR 1.26 [0.95, 1.66] | 2 studies · 490 participants | Very low |
Fluoride gel (topically applied; operator- or self-applied; any fluoride agent/concentration; frequency at least once a year) vs Placebo or no treatment Caries increment on permanent tooth surfaces (D(M)FS), prevented fraction · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or younger (permanent dentition) · Nearest to 3 years, Placebo-controlled trials Fluoride gels for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents (2015) · Cochrane | PF 0.21 [0.15, 0.28] | 15 studies · 5671 participants | Ungraded |
Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (erlotinib, gefitinib or lapatinib) plus standard therapy (radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) vs Standard therapy alone (radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) Adverse effects · People with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx · 40 to 60 months, Skin toxicity (lapatinib, all grades) Interventions for the treatment of oral and oropharyngeal cancers: targeted therapy and immunotherapy (2015) · Cochrane | RR 2.02 [1.23, 3.32] | 1 study · 67 participants | Ungraded |
Orthodontic appliances (palatal crib) vs No treatment Occlusion (change in maxillary arch length, short term) · Children with a non-nutritive sucking habit (digit or pacifier) · Short term (3 months) Interventions for the cessation of non‐nutritive sucking habits in children (2015) · Cochrane | Table 1 (reduction in malocclusion), Villa 1997 (n=24), palatal crib vs no treatment: change in maxillary arch length (mm) - no treatment 0.01 (SD 0.33); palatal crib -1.4 (SD 1.4); reported as statistically… | 1 study · 24 participants | Ungraded |
Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (erlotinib, gefitinib or lapatinib) plus standard therapy (radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) vs Standard therapy alone (radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) Adverse effects · People with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx · 40 to 60 months, Gastrointestinal complaints (gefitinib, all grades) Interventions for the treatment of oral and oropharyngeal cancers: targeted therapy and immunotherapy (2015) · Cochrane | RR 1.04 [0.98, 1.11] | 1 study · 226 participants | Ungraded |
Pilocarpine hydrochloride (parasympathomimetic) vs Placebo Xerostomia (subjective dry mouth; positive response = >25 mm change in VAS score) · Patients with radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy (2015) · Cochrane | Johnson 1993: positive response (>25 mm change in VAS score) in 25% of participants on placebo, 51% on pilocarpine 5 mg tds, 47% on pilocarpine 10 mg tds. LeVeque 1993: positive response in 7% on placebo vs 42% on… | 2 studies · 278 participants | Ungraded |
EGFR monoclonal antibody (cetuximab or nimotuzumab) plus standard therapy (radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) vs Standard therapy alone (radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy) Adverse effects · People with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity or oropharynx · 24 to 70 months, Mucositis (all grades) Interventions for the treatment of oral and oropharyngeal cancers: targeted therapy and immunotherapy (2015) · Cochrane | Mucositis all grades: not estimable due to high heterogeneity (P=0.0009; I2=86%) between subgroups (cetuximab; nimotuzumab) and within cetuximab (I2=93%); 1417 participants, 3 studies. Table 3, row 1.6 (Ang 2014;… | 3 studies · 1417 participants | Ungraded |
Xylitol lozenges (4.7 g/day) vs No treatment Adverse effects · Children (permanent teeth; baseline 8 to 10 years) · 24 months (48-month follow-up) Xylitol‐containing products for preventing dental caries in children and adults (2015) · Cochrane | There were no usable data presented for adverse effects. Lenkkeri 2012. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Fluoride toothpaste containing 10% xylitol vs Fluoride toothpaste (fluoride-only, no xylitol) Adverse effects · Children with permanent teeth (schoolchildren) · 2.5 to 3 years Xylitol‐containing products for preventing dental caries in children and adults (2015) · Cochrane | Adverse effects: both studies reported that there were no adverse effects in either the xylitol or control group. | 2 studies · 4216 participants | Ungraded |
Orthodontic appliances (palatal arch/palatal crib) vs No treatment Adverse events · Children with a non-nutritive sucking habit (digit or pacifier) Interventions for the cessation of non‐nutritive sucking habits in children (2015) · Cochrane | SoF (orthodontic appliances vs no treatment): Adverse events - insufficient information reported. Table 3 (adverse outcomes after one month; Haryett 1967), orthodontic treatment group: reported upset 6/22 (27%); speech… | 1 study | Ungraded |
Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) vs Low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less) Dental caries in adults · Adults · Adults Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries (2015) · Cochrane | No studies that aimed to determine the effectiveness of water fluoridation for preventing caries in adults met the review's inclusion criteria. There are no data to determine the effect of water fluoridation on caries… | 0 studies | No studies |