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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.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Any topical or systemic intervention vs Placebo, no treatment, or another intervention Outcome NR · People with erosive oesophageal lichen planus Interventions for erosive lichen planus affecting mucosal sites (2012) · Cochrane | None of the studies involved oesophageal disease; hence, no evidence was found for the treatment of oesophageal ELP. | 0 studies | No studies |
Pentoxifylline (400 mg three times daily for 60 days) vs Placebo Pain, number of ulcers, ulcer-free days and ulcer size · Participants with a previous or current history of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), diagnosed on history and… · 60 days (plus 60-day follow-up) Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) (2012) · Cochrane | A single trial at high risk of bias compared pentoxifylline 400 mg three times daily (n=14) with placebo (n=12). No statistically significant differences were reported for pain, number of ulcers and ulcer-free days at… | 1 study · 26 participants | Ungraded |
Er:YAG laser surface debridement before bone augmentation vs Plastic curettes plus saline solution before bone augmentation Change in probing pocket depth (PPD reduction) · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | Six months after treatment there were no statistically significant differences for PPD reduction. | 1 study · 30 participants | Ungraded |
Air-abrasive / Vector system debridement vs Manual debridement (carbon fibre curettes) Implant failure · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | No implant failures occurred in any of the groups. | 1 study · 11 participants | Ungraded |
Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% with EDTA 17% vs Sodium hypochlorite 1.3% with MTAD Proportion of participants with moderate to severe pain up to 6 hours after the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Aloe vera gel vs Placebo Physician Global Assessment (Thongprasom score) · People with erosive oral lichen planus Interventions for erosive lichen planus affecting mucosal sites (2012) · Cochrane | RR 2.64 [0.11, 61.54] | 1 study · 45 participants | Ungraded |
Colchicine (0.5 mg three times per day) vs Placebo Complete remission (no further aphthous episodes to 6 months) · Participants with a previous or current history of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), diagnosed on history and… · 6 months Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) (2012) · Cochrane | The trial by de Abreu 2009 (high risk of bias) also assessed colchicine (n=23) versus placebo (n=20). The number with no further aphthous episodes at 6 months was not significantly different from placebo (Fisher's… | 1 study · 43 participants | Ungraded |
Air-abrasive / Vector system debridement vs Manual debridement (carbon fibre curettes) Recurrence of peri-implantitis · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | No recurrence of peri-implantitis occurred in any of the groups. | 1 study · 11 participants | Ungraded |
One-to-one dietary intervention aimed at preventing tooth erosion (e.g., reducing consumption of acidic/carbonated drinks) vs No dietary advice, or different dietary advice Dental erosion / tooth wear (tooth wear indices) · Participants of any age receiving one-to-one dietary advice in a dental setting One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour (2012) · Cochrane | There were no studies concerned with dietary change aimed at preventing tooth erosion. | 0 studies | No studies |
Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% with hydrogen peroxide 3% vs Normal saline Proportion of participants with moderate to severe pain up to 6 hours after the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Any orthodontic and/or surgical treatment for Angle Class III malocclusion vs No intervention or another treatment technique Correction of prominent lower front teeth / effectiveness of treatment (planned primary outcome) · Adults (16 years of age or older) with an Angle Class III malocclusion (prominent lower front teeth); people with… Treatments for adults with prominent lower front teeth (2012) · Cochrane | No included study measured the planned primary outcome. Discussion: 'The primary outcome proposed for this review was to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for prognathism, but none of the studies conclusively… | NR | No studies |
HAART regimen + topical treatment vs HAART regimen alone Duration to heal oral ulcerations after initiation of treatment · HIV‐infected adults (> 13 years of age, per CDC) with one or more painful intraoral aphthous ulcers Topical treatments for HIV‐related oral ulcers (2012) · Cochrane | No studies were included in this review. A total of 233 abstracts were retrieved; 25 were selected as potentially eligible but all were excluded (10 reported systemic rather than topical treatment; 3 non‐RCTs; 6… | 0 studies | No studies |
Er:YAG laser surface debridement before bone augmentation vs Plastic curettes plus saline solution before bone augmentation Change in soft tissue recession (REC) · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | Six months after treatment there were no statistically significant differences for soft tissue recessions. | 1 study · 30 participants | Ungraded |
Sodium hypochlorite 1% with chlorhexidine 2% final rinse vs Sodium hypochlorite 1% with normal saline final rinse Adverse effects · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), 2.5% to 5.25% vs Chlorhexidine, 0.2% to 2% (solution or gel) Proportion of participants with new or worsening signs/symptoms of inflammation requiring a revisit, up to 14 days after the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Aloe vera gel vs Placebo Partial response (>=50% clinical improvement) · People with erosive oral lichen planus Interventions for erosive lichen planus affecting mucosal sites (2012) · Cochrane | RR 19.25 [2.83, 130.85] | 1 study · 45 participants | Ungraded |
Aloe vera gel vs Placebo Side-effects reported · People with erosive oral lichen planus Interventions for erosive lichen planus affecting mucosal sites (2012) · Cochrane | Table 3 (Side-effects). Choonhakarn 2008: no serious side-effects; 2 participants receiving aloe vera gel reported stinging and mild itching at lesions within the first week, symptoms spontaneously disappeared with… | 1 study · 45 participants | Ungraded |
Individualised homeopathic medicine (two doses over 24 hours) vs Placebo Pain free by end of study (day 6) · Participants with a previous or current history of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), diagnosed on history and… · 6 days Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) (2012) · Cochrane | RR 2.00 [1.39, 2.89] | 1 study · 100 participants | Ungraded |
Er:YAG laser debridement vs Manual debridement plus chlorhexidine irrigation/gel Complications and side effects · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | Complications: risk ratio (totals not selected); one laser patient had a buccal keratinised mucosa perforation. | 1 study · 20 participants | Ungraded |
Betamethasone oral mini-pulse therapy vs Topical triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% paste Physician Global Assessment (clinical severity, 0-12 score) · People with erosive oral lichen planus · 24 weeks Interventions for erosive lichen planus affecting mucosal sites (2012) · Cochrane | MD 1.78 [0.17, 3.39] | 1 study · 22 participants | Ungraded |
Fluticasone propionate spray vs Betamethasone sodium phosphate mouthwash Side-effects reported · People with erosive oral lichen planus Interventions for erosive lichen planus affecting mucosal sites (2012) · Cochrane | Table 3 (Side-effects). Hegarty 2002: nausea (4), swollen mouth (1), bad taste and smell (6), difficulty in spray application (7), dry mouth (2), sore throat (1), red painful tongue (1), and pseudomembranous… | 1 study · 44 participants | Ungraded |
One-to-one advice on sugar restriction: detailed information on the sugar content of foods, with instruction to refrain from sugar-containing foods between meals and to reduce sugar in main meals (6-week sugar restriction) vs No advice on sugar restriction Sugar intake frequency between meals (mean number of intakes per day) · Adults with frequent sugar intake harbouring Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sobrinus in saliva (14 dental… · Follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 weeks One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour (2012) · Cochrane | Table 5, mean (SD) intakes/day between meals: intervention 6.7 (1.9) baseline, 0.8 (1.0) at 3 weeks, 0.9 (1.0) at 6 weeks, 5.6 (3.0) at 12 weeks; control 5.3 (2.3), 5.2 (2.9), 4.6 (3.5), 4.7 (1.5). Significant… | 1 study · 20 participants | Ungraded |
Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% with hydrogen peroxide 3% vs Normal saline Proportion of participants with moderate to severe pain 72 hours to 14 days after the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | RR 0.65 [0.2, 2.0] | 1 study · 161 participants | Ungraded |
Individually designed, patient-centred preventive programme: dietary counselling (snacking timing, regular meals, fermentable carbohydrates) plus toothbrushing counselling, delivered by trained dental hygienists (a multi-intervention) vs Basic prevention offered as standard in public dental clinics Eating warm meals more than twice per day · Children aged 11 to 12 years with at least one active initial caries lesion, screened in a town in Finland · 2 to 4 years One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour (2012) · Cochrane | Table 2: 77% (193) versus 81% (200) at follow-up (baseline 83% versus 74%, a significant baseline difference). No significant change at follow-up. | 1 study · 497 participants | Ungraded |
Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% with hydrogen peroxide 3% vs Normal saline Proportion of participants with new or worsening signs/symptoms of inflammation requiring a revisit, up to 14 days after the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Radix tripterygium hypoglaucum tablet (THT) vs Tripterygium glucosides tablet (TGT) Partial response (remarkably effective or effective) · People with erosive oral lichen planus · Grade II (erosive lesions only) Interventions for erosive lichen planus affecting mucosal sites (2012) · Cochrane | RR 0.29 [0.07, 1.27] | 1 study · 94 participants | Ungraded |
Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% vs Normal saline Mean change in health-related quality of life or participant-expressed satisfaction with the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Flapless implant placement vs Conventional flap elevation Patient preference · Patients receiving dental implants Interventions for replacing missing teeth: management of soft tissues for dental implants (2012) · Cochrane | RR 106.70 [20.97, 542.82] | 1 study · 80 participants | Ungraded |
Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% vs Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% with hydrogen peroxide 3% Change in periapical radiolucency (radiography or CBCT), up to 1 year after treatment · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Montelukast (leukotriene receptor antagonist; 10 mg daily for 1 month then alternate days for the second month) vs Placebo Adverse effects · Participants with a previous or current history of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), diagnosed on history and… · 2 months Systemic interventions for recurrent aphthous stomatitis (mouth ulcers) (2012) · Cochrane | The study reported equal drug-related adverse effects for those treated with montelukast and placebo. | 1 study · 40 participants | Ungraded |
Glucosamine sulfate (oral) vs Ibuprofen (oral) Pain-free maximum jaw opening (mm), change from baseline · Adults (>18 years) with temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (TMJ OA) diagnosed by RDC/TMD or compatible criteria · 90 days Interventions for managing temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis (2012) · Cochrane | MD 1.75 [-4.10, 7.60] | 1 study · 45 participants | Ungraded |
Sodium hypochlorite 1% with chlorhexidine 2% final rinse vs Sodium hypochlorite 1% with normal saline final rinse Proportion of participants with moderate to severe pain 72 hours to 14 days after the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Titanium framework FDP vs High-gold content alloy framework FDP 5-year prosthesis survival · Partially edentulous patients receiving tooth-supported FDPs · 5 years Interventions for replacing missing teeth: partially absent dentition (2012) · Cochrane | 5-year prosthesis survival 84% (95% CI 0.79 to 0.89) titanium vs 98% (95% CI 0.96 to 1.00) high-gold alloy; statistically significant difference (P = 0.005) | 1 study · 47 participants | Ungraded |
Dietary counselling tailored to a Stage of Change (Transtheoretical Model) to increase fruit and vegetable intake (two counselling sessions) vs Usual care Fruit juice consumption: risk of starting to drink fruit juice · Edentulous patients aged 45 to 80 years attending dental-student teaching clinics for replacement dentures, Newcastle… · 6 weeks after receiving replacement dentures (about 10 weeks after baseline) One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour (2012) · Cochrane | RR 1.09 [0.42, 2.85] | 1 study · 58 participants | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine 0.2% vs Normal saline Adverse effects · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Chlorhexidine 0.2% vs Normal saline Change in periapical radiolucency (radiography or CBCT), up to 1 year after treatment · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Er:YAG laser debridement vs Manual debridement plus chlorhexidine irrigation/gel Recurrence of peri-implantitis · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | RR 0.25 [0.03, 2.06] | 2 studies · 40 participants | Ungraded |
Sodium hypochlorite 5.25% with EDTA 17% vs Sodium hypochlorite 1.3% with MTAD Proportion of participants with moderate to severe pain 72 hours to 14 days after the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | Only a graph plot of 'average pain' over the 7-day postoperative period in each group was provided; this could not be transformed into usable data for the review's prespecified outcomes. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Extraction of the primary maxillary canine plus cervical pull headgear vs Extraction of the primary maxillary canine alone Prevalence of eruption/non-eruption of the palatally displaced permanent canine (successful eruption) · Children with palatally displaced maxillary canines (at least 80% aged 10 to 13 years); trials with craniofacial… · At least 6 months follow-up after the intervention Extraction of primary (baby) teeth for unerupted palatally displaced permanent canine teeth in children (2012) · Cochrane | Narrative (not pooled, not GRADE-rated). Leonardi 2004: extraction plus headgear (80%) gave significantly higher eruption than extraction alone (50%) (Chi2 4.69; P<0.05). Baccetti 2008: extraction plus headgear was… | 2 studies · 79 participants | Ungraded |
Any topical or systemic intervention (topical/systemic steroids, ciclosporin, tacrolimus, retinoids, anti-malarials, biologics, phototherapy, surgery) vs Placebo, no treatment, another active intervention, or a different dose of the same intervention Reduction in severity of flares · People of any age with erosive lichen planus affecting the oral, anogenital, and/or oesophageal regions Interventions for erosive lichen planus affecting mucosal sites (2012) · Cochrane | No studies reported this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
Topical thalidomide vs Another topical agent or placebo Adverse effects of long‐term use of available topical agents · HIV‐infected adults (> 13 years of age, per CDC) with one or more painful intraoral aphthous ulcers Topical treatments for HIV‐related oral ulcers (2012) · Cochrane | No studies were included in this review. A total of 233 abstracts were retrieved; 25 were selected as potentially eligible but all were excluded (10 reported systemic rather than topical treatment; 3 non‐RCTs; 6… | 0 studies | No studies |
Er:YAG laser debridement vs Manual debridement plus chlorhexidine irrigation/gel Change in probing pocket depth (PPD) · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | No statistically significant differences for change in PPD. | 1 study · 20 participants | Ungraded |
Nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (Ostim) vs Bovine-derived xenograft (Bio-Oss) plus resorbable barrier Change in gingival recession (REC) · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 4 years Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | MD -0.10 [-0.51, 0.31] | 1 study · 22 participants | Ungraded |
Subepithelial connective tissue graft (palate) at implant placement vs No augmentation Soft tissue thickness change · Partially edentulous patients receiving posterior mandibular implants Interventions for replacing missing teeth: management of soft tissues for dental implants (2012) · Cochrane | MD -1.35 [-1.78, -0.92] | 1 study · 20 participants | Ungraded |
HAART regimen + topical treatment vs HAART regimen alone Pain relief · HIV‐infected adults (> 13 years of age, per CDC) with one or more painful intraoral aphthous ulcers Topical treatments for HIV‐related oral ulcers (2012) · Cochrane | No studies were included in this review. A total of 233 abstracts were retrieved; 25 were selected as potentially eligible but all were excluded (10 reported systemic rather than topical treatment; 3 non‐RCTs; 6… | 0 studies | No studies |
Tooth/implant FDP with rigid connectors vs Tooth/implant FDP with non-rigid connectors Natural tooth intrusion · Patients with tooth/implant-supported FDPs; split-mouth · 5 years Interventions for replacing missing teeth: partially absent dentition (2012) · Cochrane | Intrusion occurred in 44% of FDPs with rigid connectors and 66% with non-rigid connectors (average 0.18 mm and 0.28 mm respectively) | 1 study · 42 participants | Ungraded |
Fixed partial denture supported by root-formed implants and remaining teeth (tooth/implant-supported) vs Fixed partial denture supported only by root-formed implants (implant-supported) Prosthesis success (10 years) · Partially edentulous patients (mandible) receiving FDPs; split-mouth, 10-year · 10 years Interventions for replacing missing teeth: partially absent dentition (2012) · Cochrane | 10-year success 85% (17/20) tooth/implant-supported versus 80% (16/20) implant-supported FDPs; not statistically significant; data not available in paired form | 1 study · 23 participants | Ungraded |
Air-abrasive / Vector system debridement vs Manual debridement (carbon fibre curettes) Radiographic marginal bone level · People with at least one dental implant affected by peri-implantitis · 6 months Interventions for replacing missing teeth: treatment of peri‐implantitis (2012) · Cochrane | No statistically significant difference for marginal bone levels; data not usable. | 1 study · 11 participants | Ungraded |
Fixed dental prosthesis (cantilever FDP) vs Removable dental prosthesis (RDP) Caries incidence (2 years) · Patients with a shortened dental arch (missing posterior teeth) · 2 years Interventions for replacing missing teeth: partially absent dentition (2012) · Cochrane | RR 0.43 [0.21, 0.87] | 1 study · 50 participants | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine 0.2% vs Normal saline Proportion of participants with moderate to severe pain up to 6 hours after the procedure · Patients aged 14 to 78 years with mature permanent teeth (fully formed roots), single or multi-rooted, with pulpal or… Irrigants for non‐surgical root canal treatment in mature permanent teeth (2012) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |