Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

1,171 questions · 1,373 findings · 60 reviews · Dental caries

No studies found 282 · 20.5%GRADE not reported 606 · 44.1%Very low 257 · 18.7%Low 160 · 11.7%Moderate 66 · 4.8%High 2 · 0.1%

Visual classification: ERK (Ekstrand-Ricketts-Kidd system) vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, radiographs/microCT, or tooth separation)

Sensitivity for detection of enamel caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
1 finding from 1 review

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)

Outcome not reported · Samples with a low (<15%) prevalence of caries into dentine (d3/D3); target condition = non-cavitated enamel caries.

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review
  • 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. 'No studies reported the inclusion of a low prevalence (0% to 14%) of d3/D3 of tooth surfaces'; all included studies reported d3/D3 prevalence of 15% or above, so the planned low-prevalence…
    0 studies
    No studies found

Rubber dam isolation and moisture control (alone or with saliva aspiration) vs Cotton rolls (with or without saliva aspiration)

Participant acceptance/satisfaction · Dental patients undergoing direct or indirect restorative treatment (no age or gender restriction)
1 finding from 1 review
  • Rubber dam isolation for restorative treatment in dental patients 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes
    Non-carious cervical lesions (composite restoration)
    Evidence did not support higher acceptance/preference for rubber dam than cotton rolls (P = 0.85 from binomial test on 28 participants; very low-certainty evidence) (Loguercio 2015).
    1 study · 28 participants
    Very low

Concomitant (concurrent) chemoradiotherapy vs Radiotherapy alone

Overall survival, adjuvant concomitant chemoradiotherapy vs post-surgery radiotherapy alone · People receiving curative-intent treatment for oral cavity and oropharyngeal (squamous cell) cancer

Concomitant (concurrent) chemoradiotherapy probably leads to lower overall survival, concurrent chemoradiotherapy vs radiotherapy alone… compared with radiotherapy alone (non-resectable tumours) (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Sealing using sealant materials vs no treatment

Lesion progression · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious lesions conventionally…
1 finding from 1 review

Transillumination and optical coherence tomography devices (all illumination devices combined: NIR, OCT, and FOTI/DIFOTI) vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, radiographs/microCT, or tooth separation)

Sensitivity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
1 finding from 1 review

Mouth self-examination (MSE) vs Reference standard: examination and clinical evaluation by a physician/clinician with specialist knowledge or training (long-term follow-up accepted for those screened negative)

Sensitivity for detection of oral cavity cancer/OPMD · Apparently healthy adults not reporting symptoms of OPMD or OSCC, attending an organised screening or surveillance programme, or screened…
1 finding from 1 review

Hall technique vs Non-restorative cavity control (NRCC)

Failure of therapy · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious lesions conventionally…

It is very uncertain whether hall Technique (sealing with a preformed metal crown) changes failure of therapy compared with non-restorative cavity control (NRCC) (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Non-selective carious tissue removal and conventional restoration (CR) vs Non-restorative cavity control (NRCC)

Failure of therapy · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious lesions conventionally…

It is very uncertain whether non-selective carious tissue removal and conventional restoration (CR) changes failure of therapy compared with non-restorative cavity control (NRCC) (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Visual examination (VE) vs Reference standard: examination and clinical evaluation by a physician/clinician with specialist knowledge or training (long-term follow-up accepted for those screened negative)

Sensitivity for detection of oral cavity cancer/OPMD · Apparently healthy adults not reporting symptoms of OPMD or OSCC, attending an organised screening or surveillance programme, or screened…
1 finding from 1 review

Sealing using sealant materials vs Non-selective carious tissue removal and conventional restoration (CR)

Failure of therapy · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious lesions conventionally…

It is very uncertain whether sealing using sealant materials changes failure of therapy compared with non-selective carious tissue removal and conventional restoration (CR) (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Sealing using sealant materials vs no treatment

Failure of therapy · Children and/or adults with permanent or primary teeth, vital (sensitive) pulps, and cavitated or dentine carious lesions conventionally…

It is very uncertain whether sealing using sealant materials changes failure of therapy compared with no treatment (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Resin-based fissure sealant vs Fluoride varnish

Safety of sealants and fluoride varnishes (adverse events) · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)
1 finding from 1 review

Electrical conductance (e.g. electronic caries monitor, ECM) vs Reference standard: histology or enhanced visual-tactile examination

Outcome not reported · Adults presenting asymptomatically or suspected of having root caries (in vivo); extracted teeth of adults (in vitro)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review
  • Electrical conductance was a pre-specified eligible index test but no diagnostic test accuracy study of electrical conductance was included. A study evaluating the electronic caries monitor (ECM) (Wicht 2002) was…
    0 studies
    No studies found

Resin-based fissure sealant vs Fluoride varnish

Time taken to apply pit and fissure sealant or fluoride varnish · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Resin-modified glass ionomer fissure sealant vs Fluoride varnish

Progression of dentinal carious lesions into enamel or dentine · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)

Resin-modified glass ionomer fissure sealant showed no clear difference in progression of dentinal carious lesions into enamel or dentine compared with fluoride varnish; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review