Streptococcus mutans count · Humans at risk of dental caries (children aged 6-12 years; adults with dental caries)
Postbiotic products reduce salivary S. mutans counts in human trials, though not always significantly (ungraded narrative synthesis).
1 finding from 1 review
Relative abundance of Veillonella spp. · Individuals assessed for dental caries, predominantly children with early childhood caries (ECC) or severe ECC (age about 1 to 4 years)
Evidence on whether Veillonella spp. relative abundance is higher or lower in children with dental caries than caries-free controls is inconsistent across 7 small observational studies; no pooled estimate was produced and the evidence is ungraded.
1 finding from 1 review
Plaque · Individuals assessed for periodontal health (mainly children and adolescents, age >2 years)
Persons with orofacial cleft have a higher plaque index than healthy controls (MD 0.29, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.34; low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Proper surface staining · Children receiving dental restorations (aged 4-11 years; primary teeth; Class I/II/V cavities)
No significant difference between IRR and CR in surface staining (moderate certainty; downgraded for inconsistency).
1 finding from 1 review
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Adults aged 18 years or older with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure
Tri-calcium silicate use was associated with a 37% increase in partial-pulpotomy success in meta-regression.
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa
Nighttime sugary food intake was associated with higher odds of ECC (OR 1.104; source CI garbled).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 1.104 [1.167, 2.826]
1 study
GRADE not reported
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
Lower country-level dental caries prevalence was associated with better OHRQoL (low-prevalence pooled mean 81.5, 95% CI 76.5 to 86.6, higher than high-prevalence countries); statistically significant (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
MEAN 81.5 [76.5, 86.6]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Negative oral-health impact on daily performance (OIDP or Child-OIDP) · Adolescents (10-19 years)
For experience (history) of dental caries, adolescents had a significantly worse oral-health impact: PR 1.72 (95% CI 1.23 to 2.43) from 6 studies (I2=97%); ungraded, and not statistically different from the presence subgroup (p=0.19).
1 finding from 1 review
Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (concurrent exposure and outcome); oral impacts recalled over the prior 6 months · School-based (17/20 studies), plus household and secondary-data surveys; low-, middle- and high-income countries (Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Iran, Serbia, Nepal, India, South Africa, China) · Caries-definition subgroup: experience of dental caries
PR 1.72 [1.23, 2.43]
6 studies
GRADE not reported
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
The review reported higher OHRQoL in the low than high dental-caries-prevalence category.
1 finding from 1 review
71.40 [64.16, 78.63]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Salivary immunoglobulin A and pH · children aged 6 to 12 years
No meta-analysis was conducted; postbiotic toothpaste was reported to increase salivary immunoglobulin A and pH versus fluoride toothpaste.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
1 study
GRADE not reported
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa
Having one sibling was associated with higher odds of ECC (OR 3.32).
1 finding from 1 review
OR 3.32 [1.15, 9.54]
1 study
GRADE not reported
Adequate periodontal tissue · Children receiving dental restorations (aged 4-11 years; primary teeth; Class I/II/V cavities)
Uncertain whether IRR and CR differ in periodontal tissue outcomes (low certainty; downgraded for very serious inconsistency).
1 finding from 1 review
Dental caries · Children aged 2 to 8 years
The review reported a lower odds ratio at maternal prenatal vitamin D ≤50 nmol/L than at ≤35 nmol/L, without a numeric value in the available sources.
1 finding from 1 review
Dental caries · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years…
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
2 findings from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Preschool children (<6 years)
After excluding one study, nocturnal breastfeeding was associated with higher ECC risk (RR 3.05, 95% CI 2.40 to 3.87; I²=33%).
1 finding from 1 review
Perceived need for surgery in adulthood · Children and adolescents (aged 16 years or younger) with prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Mother microbiological presence (high-level mutans streptococci / lactobacilli) · For interventions, pregnant women and mothers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years of age
Oral health education/promotion (oral hygiene advice plus diet and… showed no clear difference in mother microbiological presence (high-level mutans streptococci /… compared with standard care; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries presence in primary teeth · For interventions, pregnant women and mothers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes, children up to 6 years of age
It is very uncertain whether consumption of xylitol chewing gum by women (mothers) changes caries presence in primary teeth compared with consumption of CHX/xylitol gum by women, or CHX varnish applied to… (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Overjet · Children and adolescents (aged 16 years or younger) with prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion)
Bone-anchored intermaxillary traction (BAIMT) led to higher overjet compared with removable mandibular retractor (RMR); GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged <6 years
No significant association between cesarean vs vaginal delivery and ECC among America/Canada/Brazil studies (OR 1.11, 95% CI 0.70-1.76).
17 findings from 1 review
OR 1.11 [0.70, 1.76]
5 studies
GRADE not reported
OR 0.86 [0.54, 1.38]
11 studies
GRADE not reported
OR 0.93 [0.65, 1.33]
12 studies
GRADE not reported
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