Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

Refine by population, intervention, comparison or outcome
More filters
Evidence found and GRADE certainty

398 questions · 757 findings · 66 reviews · Oral Health

No studies found 20 · 2.6%GRADE not reported 574 · 75.8%Very low 39 · 5.2%Low 49 · 6.5%Moderate 53 · 7%High 22 · 2.9%

Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Positive LR for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the conventional (all-studies) meta-analysis, the positive lr of visual detection for advanced occlusal caries was 7.09 (95% CI 5.6 to 8.9) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride twice annually vs Other network treatments

Caries lesion arrestment · Primary teeth with dentin caries lesions on occlusal and smooth surfaces

Silver diamine fluoride twice annually ranked first for caries lesion arrestment in the occlusal- and smooth-surface network (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Specificity for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the meta-analysis tailored to Germany, pooled specificity of radiographic detection for advanced occlusal caries was 91.4% (95% CI 88 to 94) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Negative LR for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the meta-analysis tailored to Germany, the negative lr of visual detection for advanced occlusal caries was 0.58 (95% CI 0.5 to 0.7) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Specificity for detecting all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the meta-analysis tailored to Germany, pooled specificity of radiographic detection for all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries was 84.8% (95% CI 77 to 90) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Specificity for detecting all (initial and advanced) proximal caries · Proximal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the meta-analysis tailored to Germany, pooled specificity of radiographic detection for all (initial and advanced) proximal caries was 91.7% (95% CI 90 to 93) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Positive LR for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the meta-analysis tailored to Germany, the positive lr of radiographic detection for advanced occlusal caries was 5.87 (95% CI 4.3 to 8.0) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (often histological; also invasive opening)

Advanced occlusal carious lesions · Permanent molar surfaces in diagnostic accuracy studies (mostly in vitro; clinical)

Pooled specificity for visual detection of advanced occlusal lesions was 0.849 (95% CI 0.82 to 0.89).

2 findings from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Positive LR for detecting all (initial and advanced) proximal caries · Proximal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the conventional (all-studies) meta-analysis, the positive lr of radiographic detection for all (initial and advanced) proximal caries was 4.3 (95% CI 3.4 to 5.5) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

NPV for detecting all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the Egyptian public health clinic setting, the negative predictive value of visual detection for all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries was 97.4% at an assumed prevalence of 12.9% (ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Hall technique vs Other network treatments

Treatment success rate · Primary teeth with dentin caries lesions on occlusoproximal surfaces

The Hall technique ranked first for treatment success in the occlusoproximal-surface network (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Sensitivity for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the meta-analysis tailored to Egypt, pooled sensitivity of radiographic detection for advanced occlusal caries was 54.2% (95% CI 47 to 61) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Sensitivity for detecting all (initial and advanced) proximal caries · Proximal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the conventional (all-studies) meta-analysis, pooled sensitivity of radiographic detection for all (initial and advanced) proximal caries was 43.2% (95% CI 36 to 51) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

NPV for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the Egyptian public health clinic setting, the negative predictive value of radiographic detection for advanced occlusal caries was 89.3% at an assumed prevalence of 19.0% (ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Conventional restorative treatment with resin composite (CRT-RC) vs Sealing

Treatment success (caries lesion arrest or restoration survival) · Children with dentin caries lesions in the outer half of dentin on occlusal surfaces of primary teeth

Conventional restorative treatment with resin composite gave a higher treatment success rate than resin sealing for outer-half occlusal dentin caries in primary teeth (2 studies; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Specificity for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the meta-analysis tailored to Germany, pooled specificity of visual detection for advanced occlusal caries was 96.5% (95% CI 95 to 97) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

PPV for detecting all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the German private-practice setting, the positive predictive value of radiographic detection for all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries was 22.6% at an assumed prevalence of 11.0% (ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

NPV for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the German private-practice setting, the negative predictive value of visual detection for advanced occlusal caries was 85.9% at an assumed prevalence of 22.0% (ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

Positive LR for detecting all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the meta-analysis tailored to Egypt, the positive lr of visual detection for all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries was 3.73 (95% CI 3.1 to 4.4) (ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted)

PPV for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly in vitro)

In the Egyptian public health clinic setting, the positive predictive value of radiographic detection for advanced occlusal caries was 58.3% at an assumed prevalence of 19.0% (ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review