Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic lesions, active caries…
P11-4 plus fluoride varnish did not differ significantly from P11-4 alone (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.97 to 0.17; indirect evidence only); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).
1 finding from 1 review
Remineralisation of early enamel caries · Children with early enamel caries (permanent dentition)
One trial found 6% sodium fluoride plus 6% calcium fluoride varnish significantly reversed early enamel caries versus no treatment; ungraded and not meta-analysed.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries increment, surface index D(M)FS · Children or adolescents
The illustrative network meta-regression estimated an SMD for caries increment for fluoride in varnish versus fluoride in dentifrice across randomization year; the review did not state whether the difference was significant and certainty was not graded.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries increment, surface index D(M)FS · Children or adolescents
The illustrative network meta-regression estimated an SMD for caries increment for fluoride in varnish versus fluoride in gel across randomization year; the review did not state whether the difference was significant and certainty was not graded.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries increment, surface index D(M)FS · Children or adolescents
The illustrative network meta-regression estimated an SMD for caries increment for fluoride in varnish versus fluoride in rinse across randomization year; the review did not state whether the difference was significant and certainty was not graded.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries experience at the surface level (dmfs/defs) · Children (mean age newborn to ~5.2 years) and their parents/carers
Comprehensive interventions produced a small, statistically significant reduction in surface-level caries (dmfs SMD -0.14, 95% CI -0.26 to -0.02; 10 studies; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries experience · Children (mean age newborn to ~5.2 years) and their parents/carers
Comprehensive interventions produced a statistically significant reduction in tooth-level caries (dmft SMD -0.47, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.10; 4 studies; not GRADE-rated), though heterogeneity was very high.
1 finding from 1 review
Intervention not reported
Pit-and-fissure caries progression (ICDAS), CO2 laser vs fluoride varnish alone
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
1 study
GRADE not reported
Access to oral healthcare (referral pathways, documentation processes, operating efficiencies, staffing, visits for oral health issues, uptake of fluoride varnish/other preventive treatment, and visits to an oral health professional) · People of all ages and abilities served through primary care and related settings (children, pregnant women, older adults in…
Most strategies to integrate oral health into primary care were associated with improved access to oral healthcare (19 studies, narrative synthesis; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Strategies to integrate oral health into primary care: a systematic review. 2023 All outcomesPrimary care, community, school, and aged-care/residential/nursing-home settings
Access to oral healthcare was the primary outcome most studied (n=19). Most studies reported results favouring the integration strategy, including improvements in referral pathways, documentation processes, operating…
19 studies
GRADE not reported
Dimensional change (size) of early enamel caries lesions · Patients (mainly children) with white spot lesions (WSL)
In one trial, professionally applied sodium fluoride varnish significantly reduced the size of early enamel caries lesions compared with no fluoride treatment; ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries increment in permanent teeth · Children or adolescents
The NMR reported a difference between fluoride in varnish and placebo at randomisation years 1954 to 1980; no GRADE assessment was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Caries increment, surface index D(M)FS · Children or adolescents
In the illustrative network meta-regression the SMD for caries increment differed between fluoride in varnish and no treatment at randomization years 1954 to 1990; certainty was not graded.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries increment in permanent teeth · Children or adolescents
The NMR reported a difference between fluoride in varnish and no treatment at randomisation years 1954 to 1990; no GRADE assessment was reported.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Caries increment, surface index D(M)FS · Children or adolescents
In the illustrative network meta-regression the SMD for caries increment showed a treatment-by-year interaction and differed between fluoride in varnish and placebo at randomization years 1954 to 1980; certainty was not graded.
1 finding from 1 review
Coronal carious lesions arrest · Children with coronal carious lesions (primary dentition)
One review reported prevented fractions of 55 to 96% favouring 38% SDF over fluoride varnish or placebo for arresting coronal caries in primary teeth (two studies; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Prevented Fraction 55–96
2 studies
GRADE not reported
Coronal carious lesions arrest · Children with coronal carious lesions (primary dentition)
One review reported a risk ratio of 1.66 favouring SDF over fluoride varnish or ART for arresting coronal caries in primary teeth (no CI; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
RR 1.66
2 studies
GRADE not reported
Coronal carious lesions arrest · Children with coronal carious lesions (primary dentition)
Across three reviews, 38% SDF arrested 65 to 91% of coronal lesions in primary teeth, outperforming fluoride varnish (38 to 44%), glass ionomer cement (39 to 82%), and placebo (34%) (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Arrest rate 65–91
6 studies
GRADE not reported
Remineralisation of early enamel caries · Patients (mainly children) with white spot lesions (WSL)
Professionally applied 5% sodium fluoride varnish remineralised about two-thirds of early enamel caries lesions in children (pooled proportion 63.6%, 95% CI 36.0% to 91.2%; 4 studies); certainty was not GRADE-rated and heterogeneity was very high (I2=96%).
1 finding from 1 review
Root carious lesions prevention · Older adults with root caries (community-dwelling or residential elders)
In elders, sodium fluoride varnish gave a 64% prevented fraction for root caries vs water, lower than SDF (71%) (p<0.01; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
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