Dental caries · Individuals in East Africa assessed for dental caries
Frequent carbohydrate intake was associated with significantly higher odds of dental caries (OR 1.575, 95% CI 1.13 to 3.051); certainty not graded.
1 finding from 1 review
Dental caries · Healthy children and adolescents in the United Arab Emirates
Higher snacking and soft-drink/sugar consumption were associated with more caries in most studies, though one study found no association with sweet-consumption frequency (narrative synthesis; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
Soft drink consumption (Khadri et al.: 0.31, 95% CI 0.14-0.47) and a high extent of snacking (Hashim et al.: high vs low snack level aRR 1.46, 95% CI 1.26-1.70; snacking >=3x vs once daily aRR 1.25, 1.00-1.57) were…
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Caries development in permanent teeth · School children and adolescents (6-18 years) followed from primary dentition (baseline examination before 72 months of age)
Early-childhood oral hygiene and dietary habits show inconsistent associations with permanent-teeth caries, often losing significance after adjustment for past caries (2 studies; not pooled; not GRADE-rated).
1 finding from 1 review
dmfs index score (decayed, missing, filled primary surfaces; range 0-80) · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
Advice about a healthy diet (including breastfeeding promotion and… showed no clear difference in dmfs index score (decayed, missing, filled primary surfaces; range… compared with standard care (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries presence in primary teeth · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
Advice about a healthy diet (including breastfeeding promotion and… probably leads to lower caries presence in primary teeth compared with standard care (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Caries severity (d1 + mfs >= 5) · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
Advice about a healthy diet (including breastfeeding promotion and… led to lower caries severity (d1 + mfs >= 5) compared with standard care; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Mother self-reported oral health behaviours and attitudes · 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
Caries in primary teeth: dmft (3 years) · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
It is very uncertain whether advice about a healthy diet (including breastfeeding promotion and… changes dmft index score (decayed, missing, filled primary teeth; range 0-20) compared with standard care (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Child oral health behaviours · 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
Adverse events for mother or child · 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
Enamel/dental hard-tissue changes and e-liquid cariogenic properties (demineralization, colour change, pH, sugar content, metals) · Oral bacteria (streptococci), dental hard tissue (enamel/dentin) and e-liquids studied in vitro/ex vivo (with a few clinical microbiome…
In vitro evidence suggests e-liquids are often acidic and sugar-containing and can alter enamel/dentin colour and properties, supporting a plausible cariogenic effect, but findings are heterogeneous and not pooled (ungraded, narrative).
1 finding from 1 review
Change in Mutans streptococci (MS) and Lactobacilli in saliva · Schoolchildren (6-9 years), high caries risk
The single stevia trial (Cocco 2019) reported a significant reduction in salivary Mutans streptococci and lactobacilli, but gave no effect size and was not GRADE-rated.
1 finding from 1 review
Clinical Effects of Sugar Substitutes on Cariogenic Bacteria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. 2024 All outcomes42 days · Schoolchildren in Italy, high caries risk; sweetener delivered as a daily snack · Single study (Cocco 2019); not pooled
Cocco 2019 (the only high-intensity sweetener trial): the stevia snack showed a significant decrease in MS (P < .01) and in lactobacilli (P = .03) versus baseline, whereas the white-sugar snack showed no significant…
1 study · 271 participants
GRADE not reported
Effects of non-stevia high-intensity sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin) on cariogenic bacteria in dental plaque or saliva · healthy people
No eligible studies evaluated high-intensity sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, or saccharin for their effect on cariogenic bacteria.
1 finding from 1 review
Change in Mutans streptococci (MS) count in saliva · healthy people
Xylitol significantly reduced Mutans streptococci in saliva compared with no intervention (SMD -1.47, 95% CI -1.94 to -0.99; 3 trials), though heterogeneity was very high (I2=98%); not GRADE-rated.
1 finding from 1 review
Intervention not reported
Change in prevalence of salivary Streptococcus sobrinus
1 finding from 1 review
Intervention not reported
Change in Lactobacillus spp. in dental plaque
1 finding from 1 review
Intervention not reported
Adverse events
1 finding from 1 review
Tooth decay-free children · Alaska children aged 5 to 18 years
The robust prevention PDHA model was projected to yield more than 50% tooth decay-free children versus 8% with other PDHA models, without a GRADE rating.
1 finding from 1 review
Baby bottle tooth decay prevalence · Alaska Native and American Indian Head Start children
High-intensity community education was associated with a 33% reduction in BBTD prevalence, without a GRADE rating.
3 findings from 1 review
Percent reduction in BBTD prevalence 33
1 study
GRADE not reported
Percent reduction in BBTD prevalence 18
1 study
GRADE not reported
Percent reduction in BBTD prevalence 27
1 study
GRADE not reported
Projected Significant Caries (SiC) index · Alaska Native children (below age 18)
A simulation projected a 50% drop in the Significant Caries index for children (12.3 to 6.1) under the PDHA model (certainty not graded).
2 findings from 1 review