Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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

211 questions · 428 findings · 24 reviews

No studies found 1 · 0.2%GRADE not reported 346 · 80.8%Very low 14 · 3.3%Low 24 · 5.6%Moderate 43 · 10%High 0 · 0%

Visual examination (VE) vs Cavity preparation or biopsy (operative validation)

Diagnostic accuracy for occlusal caries detection at the 1/3 dentin caries detection level (Ekstrand; D0-2 versus D3-4) · Human permanent posterior teeth (premolars and molars) in patients, occlusal (pit-and-fissure) surfaces

In in vivo, visual examination pooled specificity was 0.77 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.85) for occlusal caries at the 1/3 dentin detection level; ungraded.

4 findings from 1 review
Show 1 more finding

Conventional bitewing radiography (E-speed film) vs Cavity preparation or biopsy (operative validation)

Diagnostic accuracy for occlusal caries detection at the dentin caries detection level (D0-2 versus D3-4) · Human permanent posterior teeth (premolars and molars) in patients, occlusal (pit-and-fissure) surfaces

In in vivo, conventional bitewing radiography (E-speed) pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 127.56 (95% CI 7.38 to 2203.70) for occlusal caries at the dentin detection level; ungraded.

4 findings from 1 review
Show 1 more finding

Visual examination (VE) vs Histological validation (serial sectioning, grinding, hemisection, or microradiography)

Diagnostic accuracy for occlusal caries detection at the 1/3 dentin caries detection level (Ekstrand; D0-2 versus D3-4) · Extracted human permanent posterior teeth (premolars and molars), occlusal (pit-and-fissure) surfaces

In in vitro, visual examination pooled diagnostic odds ratio was 16.6 (95% CI 4.85 to 56.79) for occlusal caries at the 1/3 dentin detection level; ungraded.

4 findings from 1 review
Show 1 more finding

Conventional bitewing radiography, F-speed film vs Histological validation (serial sectioning, grinding, hemisection, or microradiography)

Diagnostic accuracy for occlusal caries detection at the dentin caries detection level (D0-2 versus D3-4) · Extracted human permanent posterior teeth (premolars and molars), occlusal (pit-and-fissure) surfaces

In in vitro, conventional bitewing radiography (F-speed) pooled specificity was 0.97 (95% CI 0.71 to 0.998) for occlusal caries at the dentin detection level; ungraded.

4 findings from 1 review
Show 1 more finding

Conventional bitewing radiography (D-speed film) vs Histological validation (serial sectioning, grinding, hemisection, or microradiography)

Diagnostic accuracy for occlusal caries detection at the dentin caries detection level (D0-2 versus D3-4) · Extracted human permanent posterior teeth (premolars and molars), occlusal (pit-and-fissure) surfaces

In in vitro, conventional bitewing radiography (D-speed) pooled specificity was 0.73 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.87) for occlusal caries at the dentin detection level; ungraded.

4 findings from 1 review
Show 1 more finding

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF; 30% or 38%) vs Fluoride varnish

Arrest of dentine caries · Preschool children with active dentine caries in primary teeth (mean age 3.4-4.0 years)

Silver diamine fluoride was about 2.5 times more likely than sodium fluoride to arrest dentine caries surfaces at 18 months (pooled OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.25 to 5.10; 2 RCTs), although between-study heterogeneity was high (I2=90.3%); certainty of evidence was not formally graded.

2 findings from 1 review

Minimally invasive caries removal (MIT): selective removal to soft dentin, self-limiting chemomechanical removal, or partial/incomplete caries removal vs Conventional caries removal (CT): selective removal to firm dentin, stepwise excavation, or complete caries removal

Pulp exposure rate · Patients with deep carious lesions in permanent (mainly posterior) teeth

Minimally invasive caries removal was associated with a lower mean pulp exposure rate than conventional removal (1.2% vs 8.1%), but the difference was not statistically significant (Wilcoxon, p = 0.068); certainty of evidence was not graded.

1 finding from 1 review

Minimally invasive caries removal (MIT): selective removal to soft dentin, self-limiting chemomechanical removal, or partial/incomplete caries removal vs Conventional caries removal (CT): selective removal to firm dentin, stepwise excavation, or complete caries removal

Treatment success (caries lesion arrest or restoration survival) · Patients with deep carious lesions in permanent (mainly posterior) teeth

Minimally invasive caries removal showed a marginally higher mean restoration success rate than conventional removal (83.6% vs 75.4%), but the difference was not statistically significant (Mann-Whitney U, p > 0.05); certainty of evidence was not graded.

1 finding from 1 review

Carious dentin vs Sound dentin

Cathepsin K (CT-K) presence/activity · Human ex vivo carious dentin (mostly coronal), natural caries lesions

Cathepsin K may be increased in carious dentin (one study), but no certainty rating was assigned (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Carious dentin vs Sound dentin

MMP-8 expression/activity · Human ex vivo carious dentin (mostly coronal), natural caries lesions

For MMP-8, no clear direction of difference between carious and sound dentin was found; the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Carious dentin vs Sound dentin

MMP-2 presence/activity · Human ex vivo carious dentin (mostly coronal), natural caries lesions

MMP-2 may be increased in carious dentin compared with sound dentin, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Carious dentin vs Sound dentin

MMP-9 presence/activity · Human ex vivo carious dentin (mostly coronal), natural caries lesions

MMP-9 may be increased in carious dentin compared with sound dentin, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Carious dentin vs Sound dentin

MMP-13 presence/activity · Human ex vivo carious dentin (mostly coronal), natural caries lesions

MMP-13 may be increased in carious dentin compared with sound dentin, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Carious dentin vs Sound dentin

Cathepsin B (CT-B) presence/activity · Human ex vivo carious dentin (mostly coronal), natural caries lesions

Cathepsin B may be increased in carious dentin compared with sound dentin, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Selective carious tissue removal (selective excavation, SE) vs Non-selective or complete carious tissue removal

Pulp exposure during caries removal · Children with dentine caries in primary and permanent teeth

Partial caries removal was reported to reduce pulp-exposure risk by 77% versus complete caries removal (RR 0.23; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Selective carious tissue removal (selective excavation, SE) vs Non-selective or complete carious tissue removal

Pulp exposure during caries removal · Children (3-11 years) with symptomless, vital dentine caries in primary molars

Partial caries removal reduced the reported risk of pulp exposure versus complete caries removal in primary teeth (RR 0.24; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Nano-silver fluoride vs Not specified

Arrest of dentine caries · Children with active dentine caries

One randomised trial found nano-silver fluoride arrested dentine caries without the black staining seen with silver diamine fluoride; ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

30% silver diamine fluoride vs Not specified

Arrest of dentine caries · Children with active dentine caries in primary teeth

One study reported 30% silver diamine fluoride effectively arrested dentine caries in primary teeth; ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

12% silver diamine fluoride (SDF), single (one-off) application vs Not specified

Arrest of dentine caries · Children with active dentine caries

One trial found a single application of 12% silver diamine fluoride did not arrest dentine caries; ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

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

Caries lesion arrestment · Children with dentin caries lesions in the outer half of dentin on occlusal surfaces of primary teeth

Resin sealing and conventional restorative treatment (resin composite) did not differ significantly for caries lesion arrestment in outer-half occlusal dentin caries of primary teeth (2 studies; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review