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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

145 questions · 179 findings · 24 reviews

No studies found 27 · 15.1%GRADE not reported 121 · 67.6%Very low 14 · 7.8%Low 3 · 1.7%Moderate 14 · 7.8%High 0 · 0%

Fluoride varnish vs Fluoride toothpaste alone

Unacceptability of treatment (drop-outs / leaving study early) · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or less

Fluoride varnish showed no clear difference in unacceptability of treatment (drop-outs) compared with fluoride toothpaste; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Fluoride mouthrinse

Unacceptability of treatment (drop-outs / leaving study early) · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or less

Fluoride varnish showed no clear difference in unacceptability of treatment (drop-outs) compared with fluoride mouthrinse; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF, including SDF + fluoride varnish) vs Other standard-of-care caries treatments pooled (placebo, ART, or ART + fluoride varnish)

Oral health-related quality of life · Children with dental caries

SDF had no significant effect on oral health-related quality of life versus pooled standard-of-care caries treatments (SMD -0.06, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.08; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

6% sodium fluoride with 6% calcium fluoride varnish vs no treatment

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

Fluoride varnish vs Fluoride in dentifrice

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

Fluoride varnish vs Fluoride gel

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

Fluoride varnish vs Fluoride in rinse

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

Fluoride varnish vs Untreated lesions (single-arm before vs after proportion)

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

Sodium fluoride (NaF) varnish, applied every 3 months, plus OHI vs inactive control

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

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

Fluoride varnish combined with fluoride toothpaste vs Fluoride varnish

Unacceptability of treatment (drop-outs / leaving study early) · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or less

Fluoride varnish combined with fluoride toothpaste showed no clear difference in unacceptability of treatment (drop-outs / leaving study early) compared with fluoride varnish alone; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride gel (topically applied; operator- or self-applied; any fluoride agent/concentration; frequency at least once a year) vs Fluoride mouthrinse

Caries increment in permanent teeth · Children and adolescents aged 16 years or less
1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Fluoride varnish

Caries arrestment at the tooth level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)

In one trial, SDF increased tooth-level caries arrestment versus 5% sodium fluoride varnish (OR 4.75; ungraded subgroup).

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Fluoride varnish

Caries arrestment at the surface level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)

Pooling two highly heterogeneous trials, SDF showed no significant difference versus 5% sodium fluoride varnish in surface-level caries arrestment (OR 1.46; ungraded subgroup).

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Other methods (pooled: ART/glass ionomer cement, nano-silver fluoride, sodium fluoride varnish)

Caries arrestment at the tooth level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)

SDF probably results in a slight increase in tooth-level caries arrestment versus other methods (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Other methods (pooled: nano-silver fluoride, sodium fluoride varnish)

Caries arrestment at the surface level · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition)

SDF probably makes little to no difference to surface-level caries arrestment versus other methods (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

P11-4 + fluoride varnish vs Fluoride varnish

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 was significantly better than fluoride varnish alone (SMD -0.71, 95% CI -1.13 to -0.29); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review