Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

550 questions · 669 findings · 42 reviews

No studies found 162 · 24.2%GRADE not reported 272 · 40.7%Very low 110 · 16.4%Low 93 · 13.9%Moderate 29 · 4.3%High 3 · 0.4%

Topical fluoride therapy (toothpaste, mouthrinse, gel or varnish; 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)
7 findings from 1 review
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Topical fluoride therapy (toothpaste, mouthrinse, gel or varnish; any fluoride agent/concentration; frequency at least once a year) vs placebo or no treatment

Caries increment on primary (deciduous) tooth surfaces (d(e/m)fs), prevented fraction · Children with primary (deciduous) teeth (younger children)
5 findings from 1 review
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Topical fluoride therapy (toothpaste, mouthrinse, gel or varnish; 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)
7 findings from 1 review
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Fluoride toothpaste vs Non-fluoride (0 ppm F) placebo toothpaste

Proportion developing new caries · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or less

Fluoride toothpaste showed no clear difference in proportion of children developing one or more new caries compared with placebo (non-fluoride) toothpaste; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Topical fluoride therapy (toothpaste, mouthrinse, gel or varnish; any fluoride agent/concentration; frequency at least once a year) vs placebo or no treatment

Adverse effects: dental fluorosis · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or less

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Topical fluoride therapy (toothpaste, mouthrinse, gel or varnish; any fluoride agent/concentration; frequency at least once a year) vs placebo or no treatment

Proportion developing new caries · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or younger (permanent dentition)

Topical fluoride therapy (toothpaste, mouthrinse, gel or varnish;… led to lower proportion of children developing one or more new caries compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

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

Caries/root caries · Nursing home residents (mean age 78.3 to 86.0 years; more than 66% women; 62.1% to 87.3% with dental prostheses)
1 finding from 1 review

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

Child dental attendance · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
1 finding from 1 review

Traditional screening (referral card given if the inspecting dentist judges the child needs to see a dentist) vs No screening

Proportion of children with treated/untreated caries (receipt of dental care) · School children (aged 4 to 15 years), primary and secondary schools in the UK and India

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Analogue (conventional) radiographs vs Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) (direct within-person / paired comparison); reference standard: histology

Diagnostic accuracy: analogue versus CBCT (within-person, not pooled) · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
1 finding from 1 review
  • 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)
    Direct comparison analogue vs CBCT (within-person): 6 datasets from 3 studies (737 tooth sites or surfaces) provided data, but the results could not be pooled; only individual study results are shown (Figure 21). No…
    3 studies
    GRADE not reported

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

Diagnostic accuracy on surfaces with pit and fissure sealants · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review
  • 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) · Pit and fissure sealants
    Pre-specified heterogeneity investigation of surfaces with pit and fissure sealants: no study reported the inclusion of sealants that would allow evaluation of early caries lesions.
    0 studies
    No studies found

Glass ionomer or resin-modified glass ionomer fissure sealant vs Fluoride varnish

Dentine caries in permanent molars (24 months) · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)
1 finding from 1 review

Resin-based fissure sealant plus fluoride varnish vs Fluoride varnish

Dentine caries in permanent molars (24 months) · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)

It is very uncertain whether resin-based fissure sealant plus fluoride varnish changes dentine caries in permanent molars (yes/no) compared with fluoride varnish alone (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Resin-based fissure sealant vs Fluoride varnish

Dentine caries in permanent molars (24 months) · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)

It is very uncertain whether resin-based fissure sealant changes dentine caries in permanent molars (yes/no) compared with fluoride varnish (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Resin-based fissure sealant (2nd/3rd/4th generation) vs No sealant (control/no treatment)

Caries on occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (12 months) · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)

Resin-based fissure sealant (2nd/3rd/4th generation) led to lower caries on occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (36 months) compared with no sealant (control/no treatment); GRADE not reported.

3 findings from 1 review