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Each row is one question a systematic review asked: who, what, compared with what, and which outcome, with the effect it found and how certain that is. Words match anywhere in the field.
10,375 questions in 429 reviews · Oral Health
current versionsNo studies 1,344 · 13%Ungraded 6,832 · 65.9%Very low 1,228 · 11.8%Low 613 · 5.9%Moderate 290 · 2.8%High 68 · 0.7%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence) Early childhood caries experience (mean dmft) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years) · Overall (all regions) A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. (2024) | MEAN 3.68 [2.99, 4.37] | 60 studies | Ungraded |
Postoperative systemic antibiotics (phenoxymethylpenicillin/penicillin VK, 7-day course), partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics vs Matched placebo, partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics Pain at 7 days · Adults with a symptomatic necrotic tooth or localised acute apical abscess (no signs of spreading infection or… · 7 days Systemic antibiotics for symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess in adults (2024) · Cochrane | MD -0.05 [-0.41, 0.30] | 1 study · 41 participants | Very low |
CC+AA (homozygous) genotypes vs CA (heterozygous) genotype Dental caries · Children (<18 years) with vs without dental caries · Over-dominant model (CC+AA vs CA) Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with caries risk in children: a systematic review and… (2024) | OR 0.91 [0.73, 1.14] | 3 studies · 1327 participants | Ungraded |
Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) vs TotalFill BC Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure · >=12 months Efficacy of pulpotomy for permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure: A systematic review and meta-analysis… (2024) | OR 1.44 [0.65, 3.19] | 2 studies · 248 participants | Ungraded |
Facemask vs Untreated control (no treatment) ANB · Children and adolescents (aged 16 years or younger) with prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) · End of treatment (9 to 15 months) Orthodontic treatment for prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) in children (2024) · Cochrane | MD 3.60 [2.68, 4.52] | 5 studies · 197 participants | Ungraded |
Children with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC) vs Caries-free children Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level · Preschool children ≤6 years, North America · North America The Association Between Vitamin D and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2024) | MD -13.28 [-17.70, -8.87] | NR | Ungraded |
Facemask vs Untreated control (no treatment) Adverse effects (temporomandibular joint signs and symptoms) · Children and adolescents (aged 16 years or younger) with prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) · End of treatment / follow-up Orthodontic treatment for prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) in children (2024) · Cochrane | Mandall 2010: no statistical analysis of TMJ signs/symptoms due to low prevalence; at 6-year follow-up reported no adverse effects from facemask. | 1 study · 69 participants | Ungraded |
Abdominal dermal fat graft vs Nasolabial flap Maximal mouth opening (interincisal distance) · People of any age with a confirmed diagnosis, by clinical examination and biopsy, of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) · Less than 3 months Interventions for managing oral submucous fibrosis (2024) · Cochrane | MD -3.60 [-5.17, -2.03] | 1 study · 30 participants | Very low |
Intralesional dexamethasone injections vs Placebo injections Adverse effects · People of any age with a confirmed diagnosis, by clinical examination and biopsy, of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) Interventions for managing oral submucous fibrosis (2024) · Cochrane | Adverse effects (any): no adverse effects reported; 25 (1); no GRADE rating. | 1 study · 25 participants | Ungraded |
Extraction at patient age 8-10 years vs Extraction at patient age >10 years Spontaneous space closure · Children and adolescents after extraction of a mandibular permanent first molar (before eruption of the second molar) · Until eruption of the permanent second molar (median follow-up 4.0 years), Mandible Spontaneous space closure after extraction of permanent first molars in children and adolescents: a… (2024) | OR 3.32 [1.73, 6.36] | 3 studies · 109 participants | Low |
Occlusal splint vs Pharmacological therapy Joint pain at rest · People with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) · Short term, Osteoarthritis / mixed TMD Occlusal interventions for managing temporomandibular disorders (2024) · Cochrane | RR 1.87 [0.57, 6.07] | 1 study · 29 participants | Very low |
Slum setting vs Non-slum urban setting Oral disease prevalence · Adult residents of slum and non-slum urban settings in LMICs Systematic review of oral health in slums and non-slum urban settings of Low and Middle-Income Countries… (2024) | no estimate extracted | 18 studies | Ungraded |
Antioxidants (lycopene, curcumin, Oxitard) vs Placebo or no active treatment Quality of life · People of any age with a confirmed diagnosis, by clinical examination and biopsy, of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) Interventions for managing oral submucous fibrosis (2024) · Cochrane | The trials did not measure quality of life. | 0 studies | No studies |
Cranberry extract or cranberry flavonoid fractions vs No extract or vehicle control; other antimicrobial agents Bacterial growth inhibition · Streptococcus mutans cultures and biofilms Effect of flavonoids from grape seed and cranberry extracts on the microbiological activity of Streptococcus… (2024) | no estimate extracted | 7 studies | Ungraded |
Higher waist circumference vs Lower waist circumference Dental caries in children · Children (approx. 4-18 years) Childhood obesity in relation to risk of dental caries: a cumulative and dose-response systematic review and… (2024) | OR 1.08 [0.90, 1.30] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Presence of oral Candida albicans vs Absence of oral Candida albicans Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged ≤6 years (early childhood) · Exposure and outcome assessed concurrently (observational); children aged ≤6 years, Time period: 2018 and later RETRACTED: Investigating the association between Candida albicans and early childhood dental caries: A… (2024) | OR 4.17 [2.62, 6.64] | 12 studies | Ungraded |
GG genotype vs GA+AA genotypes Dental caries · Children (<18 years) with vs without dental caries · Recessive model (GG vs GA+AA) Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with caries risk in children: a systematic review and… (2024) | OR 0.58 [0.26, 1.30] | 4 studies · 1741 participants | Ungraded |
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after subgingival instrumentation (SI) vs Subgingival instrumentation (SI) alone (hand or power-driven, or both), or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Quality of life · Adults (> 18 years) with recurrent periodontitis, receiving supportive (maintenance) periodontal care Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane | No studies reported data for this outcome. | NR | No studies |
Superelastic NiTi arch wire vs Multistrand stainless steel arch wire Pain day 1 · People receiving orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances (upper and/or lower full arch) · 7 to 14 days Initial arch wires used in orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances (2024) · Cochrane | MD 2.68 [-1.38, 6.75] | 2 studies · 127 participants | Low |
Adhesive precoated (APC) flash-free brackets (minimal excess adhesive) vs Conventional brackets (conventional adhesive-coated / ceramic brackets) Enamel demineralization / white spot lesions (DIAGNOdent, QLF) · Patients undergoing fixed orthodontic (fixed appliance) treatment (adolescents and adults, ages 12 to 35) · 1 to 6 months (to debonding) Can Orthodontic Adhesive Systems Inhibit the Formation and Development of White Spot Lesions During Fixed… (2024) | Two studies (Tan 2020 split-mouth, n=30; Yetkiner 2019 RCT, n=50): no statistically significant difference in demineralization between flash-free and conventional/APC brackets (Tan p>0.05; Yetkiner delta-F not… | 2 studies · 80 participants | Ungraded |
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) plus fluoride varnish vs Sealants plus fluoride varnish (with or without restorations) Dental pain or sensitivity · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions) Topical silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for preventing and managing dental caries in children and adults (2024) · Cochrane | No studies reported data for this outcome in this comparison | 0 studies | No studies |
Occlusal splint vs No treatment or placebo (non-occlusal or transparent-foil placebo splint) Recurrence rate · People with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) Occlusal interventions for managing temporomandibular disorders (2024) · Cochrane | Listed in Summary of findings 1 as 'Not reported'; this outcome was not reported by any included study for this comparison. Recurrence rate was not reported in any included study across the whole review. | 0 studies | No studies |
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF; 38% in most trials, 30% in three) vs Other methods (pooled: ART/glass ionomer cement, nano-silver fluoride, sodium fluoride varnish, placebo) Adverse effects (tooth staining; soft-tissue and systemic events) · Children and adults with active dental caries (aged 1-50; mostly preschool/school children with primary dentition) · up to 30 months The role of silver diamine fluoride as dental caries preventive and arresting agent: a systematic review and… (2024) | Black staining of arrested lesions reported in most studies; 4 studies reported mild transient events (gingival blenching/pain; diarrhea/stomachache; burning, bad taste, pain, mouth injury, dissatisfaction with… | NR | Ungraded |
TT+CC (homozygous) genotypes vs TC (heterozygous) genotype Dental caries · Children (<18 years) with vs without dental caries · Over-dominant model (TT+CC vs TC), PCR-RFLP genotyping Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with caries risk in children: a systematic review and… (2024) | OR 1.15 [0.83, 1.60] | NR | Ungraded |
TT genotype vs TC+CC genotypes Dental caries · Children (<18 years) with vs without dental caries · Recessive model (TT vs TC+CC), Caucasian ethnicity Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with caries risk in children: a systematic review and… (2024) | OR 1.05 [0.56, 1.98] | NR | Ungraded |
Single preoperative dose of systemic antibiotics (clindamycin 600 mg), total chemo-mechanical debridement and root filling vs Matched placebo, total chemo-mechanical debridement and root filling Swelling at 72 hours · Adults with symptomatic apical periodontitis (no signs of spreading infection or systemic involvement) · 72 hours Systemic antibiotics for symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess in adults (2024) · Cochrane | No data available for this outcome. | 0 studies | No studies |
Teledentistry (index test): dental caries diagnosis from photographs taken with DSLR or smartphone cameras; store-and-forward vs Visual/clinical dental examination (reference standard) Negative predictive value · Children and adults with primary or permanent dentition undergoing dental caries assessment · Cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy (index test vs reference standard, in-vivo), Overall (studies reporting NPV; narrative synthesis) Teledentistry accuracy for caries diagnosis: a systematic review of in-vivo studies using extra-oral… (2024) | Negative predictive value reported in 10 of 19 studies; per-study values ranged from about 31% to 99.5% (Table 2). No pooled estimate. | 10 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Decayed surfaces (DS) · Periodontal disease severity (CDC-AAP); single study (Robert 2019); adjusted Association between periodontitis and dental caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2024) | OR 1.18 [1.05, 1.32] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after subgingival instrumentation (SI) vs Subgingival instrumentation (SI) alone (hand or power-driven, or both), or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Change in probing pocket depth (PPD) · Adults (> 18 years) with recurrent periodontitis, receiving supportive (maintenance) periodontal care · 3 months (change from baseline) Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane | MD 0.44 [-0.20, 1.08] | 6 studies · 244 participants | Ungraded |
Postoperative systemic antibiotics (phenoxymethylpenicillin/penicillin VK, 7-day course), partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics vs Matched placebo, partial or total chemo-mechanical debridement and analgesics Percussion pain at 48 hours · Adults with a symptomatic necrotic tooth or localised acute apical abscess (no signs of spreading infection or… · 48 hours Systemic antibiotics for symptomatic apical periodontitis and acute apical abscess in adults (2024) · Cochrane | MD 0.09 [-0.44, 0.62] | 1 study · 41 participants | Ungraded |
Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence) Early childhood caries experience (mean dmft) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years) · GNI $20000-$39999 A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. (2024) | MEAN 1.13 [0.72, 1.55] | 9 studies | Ungraded |
Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) applied after subgingival instrumentation (SI) vs Subgingival instrumentation (SI) alone (hand or power-driven, or both), or SI plus placebo/sham aPDT Change in gingival recession (REC) · Adults (> 18 years) with a clinical diagnosis of periodontitis, receiving active (non-surgical anti-infective) treatment · 6 months (change from baseline) Adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy for treating periodontal and peri‐implant diseases (2024) · Cochrane | MD 0.00 [-0.16, 0.16] | 4 studies · 95 participants | Very low |
Facemask after Alt-RAMEC vs Facemask started simultaneously with Alt-RAMEC Overjet · Children and adolescents (aged 16 years or younger) with prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) · End of treatment Orthodontic treatment for prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) in children (2024) · Cochrane | MD 0.22 [-0.68, 1.12] | 1 study · 30 participants | Ungraded |
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Fluoride varnish Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions) · 24 hours to 30 months, Children Topical silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for preventing and managing dental caries in children and adults (2024) · Cochrane | In 1 study, black or brown staining on treated lesions was more common after SDF (OR 3.19, 95% CI 1.95 to 5.23), with no other adverse effects. 1 study reported complaints of a transient bitter taste with SDF use (with… | 3 studies · 980 participants | Very low |
Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence) Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence (%, dmft>0) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years) · GNI $10000-$19999 A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. (2024) | Prevalence 55 [42, 68] | 9 studies | Ungraded |
Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence) Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence (%, dmft>0) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years) · Gini index: low inequality A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. (2024) | Prevalence 39 | NR | Ungraded |
Orthodontic removable traction appliance (ORTA) vs Untreated control (no treatment) ANB · Children and adolescents (aged 16 years or younger) with prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) · End of treatment Orthodontic treatment for prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) in children (2024) · Cochrane | MD 3.81 [3.24, 4.38] | 1 study · 40 participants | Ungraded |
Occlusal splint vs Behavioural therapy (counselling, CBT, relaxation, self-care management) Severity of joint noise · People with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) Occlusal interventions for managing temporomandibular disorders (2024) · Cochrane | Listed in Summary of findings 4 as 'Not reported'; this outcome was not reported by any included study for this comparison. | 0 studies | No studies |
Obesity vs Normal weight (eutrophic) Untreated dental caries (d component), continuous · Brazilian children/adolescents (BMI classified by WHO 2007 Z-score) Overweight/obesity and dental caries in Brazilian children and adolescents: a systematic review and… (2024) | MD 0.28 [-0.03, 0.59] | 2 studies · 456 participants | Low |
Serum 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/l vs Serum 25(OH)D 50–75 nmol/l Early childhood caries (ECC) · Preschool children ≤6 years The Association Between Vitamin D and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2024) | OR 1.47 [1.30, 1.66] | 6 studies · 5265 participants | Ungraded |
Pulpotomy (full or partial) vs None (single-arm success proportion) Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure · >=12 months Efficacy of pulpotomy for permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure: A systematic review and meta-analysis… (2024) | Proportion 0.867 [0.820, 0.907] | 25 studies · 2012 participants | Very low |
Slum / urban-disadvantaged setting vs Non-slum urban / general-urban / national population Self-perceived (self-rated) oral health status · Adult residents of slums and non-slum urban settings of LMICs · Cross-sectional, By age, sex, socioeconomic class, employment Systematic review of oral health in slums and non-slum urban settings of Low and Middle-Income Countries… (2024) | Six studies (incl. 1 qualitative) reported perception; most participants rated their oral health as satisfactory/good (e.g., Olutola 76% good; Olusile 21% very good + 37% good; Osuh higher in slum than non-slum),… | 6 studies | Ungraded |
Highest BMI category (overweight/obese) vs Lowest BMI category (normal weight/underweight) Dental caries / early childhood caries (ECC) · Children (approx. 4-18 years) · Study design: cohort Childhood obesity in relation to risk of dental caries: a cumulative and dose-response systematic review and… (2024) | OR 1.27 [1.07, 1.56] | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Overweight vs Normal weight (eutrophic) Untreated dental caries (d component), continuous · Brazilian children/adolescents (BMI classified by WHO 2007 Z-score) Overweight/obesity and dental caries in Brazilian children and adolescents: a systematic review and… (2024) | MD 0.03 [-0.24, 0.30] | 2 studies · 515 participants | Low |
Superelastic NiTi arch wire vs Conventional (stabilised) NiTi arch wire Alignment rate · People receiving orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances (upper and/or lower full arch) · 5 to 10 weeks Initial arch wires used in orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances (2024) · Cochrane | Conventional NiTi vs superelastic NiTi (O'Brien 1990; Ong 2011); not pooled due to clinical heterogeneity; little or no difference in alignment rate | 2 studies · 124 participants | Low |
Advice about a healthy diet (including breastfeeding promotion and sugar avoidance) and feeding practices (e.g. relating to bottle-feeding and sleep) for infants and young children vs Standard care Child oral health behaviours · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes,… Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood… (2024) · Cochrane | Two trials (Feldens 2007; Watt 2009) reported infant/child oral health behaviours; not suitable for meta-analysis. Both observed some evidence of benefit favouring the intervention. | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Facemask with rapid maxillary expansion (RME) vs Mini maxillary protractor ANB · Children and adolescents (aged 16 years or younger) with prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) · End of treatment Orthodontic treatment for prominent lower front teeth (Class III malocclusion) in children (2024) · Cochrane | MD -0.75 [-1.49, -0.01] | 1 study · 32 participants | Ungraded |
Not applicable (single-group prevalence) vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence) Early childhood caries (ECC) prevalence (%, dmft>0) · Children younger than 71 months (under 6 years) · Life expectancy: highest (>80 years) A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data. (2024) | Prevalence 28 | NR | Ungraded |
Advice about a healthy diet (including breastfeeding promotion and sugar avoidance) and feeding practices (e.g. relating to bottle-feeding and sleep) for infants and young children vs Standard care Adverse events for mother or child · For interventions, pregnant women, mothers or other caregivers of infants in the first year of life; for outcomes,… Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood… (2024) · Cochrane | One trial only (Feldens 2007) provided information on adverse events and reported no events. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Occlusal splint vs Physical therapy (ultrasound, exercise, sensorimotor training, laser, TENS, manual therapy) Muscle pain at rest · People with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) · Short term (mean 4.4 weeks), Myofascial pain TMD Occlusal interventions for managing temporomandibular disorders (2024) · Cochrane | MD -0.19 [-1.25, 0.87] | 1 study · 72 participants | Very low |