Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

146 questions · 165 findings · 22 reviews

No studies found 1 · 0.6%GRADE not reported 138 · 83.6%Very low 8 · 4.8%Low 11 · 6.7%Moderate 6 · 3.6%High 1 · 0.6%

Probiotics vs placebo or control

Streptococcus viridans count (CFU/mL) · Children and/or adolescents (<18 years) without background systemic disease

Only one trial (Mishra 2014) reported S. viridans count, showing a higher count with probiotics (MD 0.40 CFU/mL, 95%CI 0.33 to 0.47); not pooled or GRADE-rated.

1 finding from 1 review

Low-power CO2 laser irradiation (LLLT, 0.5 to 2 W) vs Placebo (placebo laser or placebo agent) or no treatment

White spot lesion incidence · High caries-risk patients: fixed-orthodontic-appliance patients and children with partially erupted permanent molars

Low-power CO2 laser (LLLT) is associated with a lower incidence of new white spot lesions than placebo (OR 0.21, CI 0.15 to 0.30; ungraded, 3 RCTs, considerable heterogeneity I2=71%).

1 finding from 1 review

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs placebo

Cariogenic bacteria (Mutans streptococci) · People undergoing orthodontic treatment (any age; 9 to 34 years in included studies)

Chlorhexidine mouthwash reduced Mutans streptococci versus placebo, but certainty is very low.

1 finding from 1 review

Herbal mouthwash vs placebo

Plaque · People undergoing orthodontic treatment (any age; 9 to 34 years in included studies)

Herbal mouthwash reduced some plaque-related indices versus placebo, with low-certainty evidence.

1 finding from 1 review

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Placebo mouthwash

Probing pocket depth (PPD/PD) · Orthodontic patients (any age) undergoing orthodontic treatment (mostly fixed appliances)

Chlorhexidine mouthwash may reduce pocket probing depth versus placebo in the short term (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Self-assembling peptide P11-4 vs Placebo or no active treatment

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…

Self-assembling peptide P11-4 significantly improved remineralization versus control (SMD -0.56, 95% CI -0.96 to -0.15); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Herbal mouthwash vs placebo

Cariogenic bacteria (Mutans streptococci) · People undergoing orthodontic treatment (any age; 9 to 34 years in included studies)

Herbal mouthwash reduced Mutans streptococci versus placebo, but certainty is very low.

1 finding from 1 review

Intraglandular botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injection vs placebo injection

Reduction in frequency and severity of drooling · Adults with Parkinson's disease and sialorrhea (drooling)

Type A botulinum toxin significantly reduced DSFS scores versus placebo (SMD -0.80, 95% CI -1.25 to -0.36; ungraded subgroup).

3 findings from 1 review

Resin infiltration vs Placebo or no active treatment

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…

Resin infiltration significantly improved remineralization versus control (SMD -0.94, 95% CI -1.46 to -0.43), ranking second of seven therapies by SUCRA (88.7%); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Placebo varnish, resin sealant, or standard care (oral hygiene instructions)

Prevalence of white spot lesions (WSL) at debonding, subject level · Healthy adolescents and adults undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed multi-bracket appliances

Fluoride varnish applied regularly during fixed orthodontic treatment may reduce the prevalence of white spot lesions at debonding (pooled RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.98), but the certainty of evidence is very low.

1 finding from 1 review

Intraglandular botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) injection vs placebo injection

Adverse events (participants with >=1 adverse event) · Adults with Parkinson's disease and sialorrhea (drooling)

Type A botulinum toxin showed a borderline, non-significant increase in adverse events versus placebo (RD 0.10, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.21; ungraded subgroup).

3 findings from 1 review

P11-4 + fluoride varnish vs Placebo or no active treatment

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…

Combined self-assembling peptide P11-4 plus fluoride varnish significantly improved white spot lesion remineralization versus control (SMD -0.96, 95% CI -1.44 to -0.48) and ranked highest of seven therapies by SUCRA (89.7%); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Herbal mouthwash vs placebo

Gingival inflammation-related index · People undergoing orthodontic treatment (any age; 9 to 34 years in included studies)

Herbal mouthwash reduced gingival inflammation-related indices versus placebo, but certainty is very low.

1 finding from 1 review

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs placebo

Plaque index (PI) / oral hygiene · People undergoing orthodontic treatment (any age; 9 to 34 years in included studies)

Chlorhexidine mouthwash reduced Plaque Index versus placebo, but certainty is very low.

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Placebo varnish, resin sealant, or standard care (oral hygiene instructions)

White spot lesion clinical score (mean values), subject level · Healthy adolescents and adults undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed multi-bracket appliances

In a pooled analysis of two placebo-controlled trials, fluoride varnish also reduced white spot lesion clinical scores (pooled SMD -0.44, 95% CI -0.64 to -0.24); this secondary outcome was not separately GRADE-rated.

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Placebo or no active treatment

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…

Fluoride varnish (gold standard) did not differ significantly from control (SMD -0.25, 95% CI -0.51 to 0.02); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Placebo mouthwash

Gingival index (GI) · Orthodontic patients (any age) undergoing orthodontic treatment (mostly fixed appliances)

Chlorhexidine mouthwash probably reduces the Gingival Index versus placebo in the short term (WMD -0.45, 95% CI -0.70 to -0.20; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

CPP-ACP vs Placebo or no active treatment

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…

CPP-ACP did not differ significantly from control (SMD -0.18, 95% CI -0.49 to 0.14); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

CPP-ACFP vs Placebo or no active treatment

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…

CPP-ACFP versus control gave SMD -0.42 (95% CI -0.84 to 0.00); the review classed CPP-ACFP as statistically significant versus control although the reported CI upper limit is at the null (0.00); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Atraumatic restorative treatment vs placebo

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

ART and placebo did not differ for oral health-related quality of life, based on an indirect network estimate with no direct trials (MD -0.01, 95% CI -0.40 to 0.38; ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review