What do systematic reviews say?

Preformed crown (any material; conventional technique or Hall Technique) vs Filling (any material; with or without complete carious tissue excavation; with or without pulp treatment)

• Preformed crowns for decayed primary molar teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Short term (less than 12 months)
  Short term (less than 12 months): no failures in either group; effect not estimable (Analysis 1.1.1; 76 teeth, 38 participants; one study, Hutcheson 2012).
  1 study · 76 participants
  GRADE not reported
• Preformed crowns for decayed primary molar teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Long term (12 months to 48 months)
  RR 0.18 [0.06, 0.56]
  3 studies · 346 participants
  Moderate

Resin sealant (one micro-invasive treatment) vs Resin infiltration alone

• Micro‐invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  up to 3 years
  Only one study (Martignon 2012) directly compared resin sealant versus resin infiltration; the review could not determine which technique is more advantageous and reported no direct effect estimate for this comparison.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Fluoridated milk vs Non-fluoridated milk

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Fluoridated milk for preventing dental caries 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No evidence found. (No information was reported by the included study.)
  0 studies
  No studies found

Fluoridated milk vs Non-fluoridated milk

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Fluoridated milk for preventing dental caries 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No evidence found. (No information was reported by the included study.)
  0 studies
  No studies found

Micro-invasive treatment (proximal sealing or resin infiltration): resin sealant, glass ionomer sealant, polyurethane/adhesive patch, or resin infiltration vs Non-invasive / control treatment

• Micro‐invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  1 to 3 years
  The four studies that measured adverse events reported no adverse events after micro-invasive treatment (no events in either arm)
  4 studies
  GRADE not reported

Micro-invasive treatment (proximal sealing or resin infiltration): resin sealant, glass ionomer sealant, polyurethane/adhesive patch, or resin infiltration vs Non-invasive / control treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Micro‐invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No studies reported on caries measured as change in decayed, missing and filled (DMF/dmf) figures at surface, tooth or whole mouth level
  0 studies
  No studies found

Higher drinking-water fluoride exposure vs Lower water fluoride concentration (concurrent control)

Higher water fluoride concentration (fluoridated water; natural or… may leads to higher dental fluorosis of any level (all severities) compared with lower water fluoride concentration (concurrent control) (low certainty).

• Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Cross-sectional
  OR 3.60 [2.86, 4.53]
  90 studies · 180530 participants
  Low

Resin sealant (with or without flossing advice) vs Flossing advice (non-invasive control)

Resin sealant (with or without flossing advice) led to lower caries (lesion) progression (radiographic) compared with flossing advice (non-invasive control); GRADE not reported.

• Micro‐invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 to 36 months (radiographic follow-up) · Resin sealant
  OR 0.33 [0.18, 0.59]
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Sedation (sedative agents administered via any route) vs General anaesthesia

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Sedation versus general anaesthesia for provision of dental treatment to patients younger than 18 years 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
  no estimate extracted
  0 studies
  No studies found

Micro-invasive treatment (proximal sealing or resin infiltration) vs Conventional invasive treatment (restoration / drill and fill)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Micro‐invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No studies compared micro-invasive treatments with invasive treatment (fillings)
  0 studies
  No studies found

Resin infiltration vs Non-invasive measures (fluoride varnish/toothpaste, flossing, oral hygiene instruction, sham/standard of care)

Resin infiltration led to lower caries (lesion) progression (radiographic) compared with fluoride varnish, sham/placebo, or flossing advice (non-invasive…; GRADE not reported.

• Micro‐invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 to 36 months (radiographic follow-up) · Resin infiltration
  OR 0.19 [0.08, 0.46]
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Fluoridated milk vs Non-fluoridated milk

Fluoridated milk may leads to lower caries in primary teeth: dmft (3 years) compared with non-fluoridated milk (low certainty).

• Fluoridated milk for preventing dental caries 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  3 years
  MD -1.14 [-1.86, -0.42]
  1 study · 166 participants
  Low

Micro-invasive treatment (proximal sealing or resin infiltration): resin sealant, glass ionomer sealant, polyurethane/adhesive patch, or resin infiltration vs Non-invasive / control treatment

• Micro‐invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  3 years
  One study (Alkilzy 2011, sealant patch) reported material deficiency: 10% total and 23% partial loss of proximal sealants after three years; 53% maintained perfect margins and none had open margins. No studies reported…
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Fluoridated milk vs Non-fluoridated milk

Fluoridated milk may leads to lower caries in permanent teeth: DMFT (3 years) compared with non-fluoridated milk (low certainty).

• Fluoridated milk for preventing dental caries 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes

  3 years
  MD -0.13 [-0.24, -0.02]
  1 study · 166 participants
  Low

Higher circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration vs Lower circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration

Meta-analysis of observational studies (higher vs lower 25(OH)D) for Prostate cancer: OR 1.04 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.09), not statistically significant. Umbrella review outcome-level evidence grade: Substantial effect unlikely.

• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational… 2014 All outcomes
  OR 1.04 [0.98, 1.09]
  14 studies · 28988 participants
  GRADE not reported

Higher circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration vs Lower circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration

Meta-analysis of observational studies (higher vs lower 25(OH)D) for Type 2 diabetes: OR 0.63 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.69), statistically significant. Umbrella review outcome-level evidence grade: Suggestive.

• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational… 2014 All outcomes
  OR 0.63 [0.56, 0.69]
  16 studies · 72204 participants
  GRADE not reported

Higher circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration vs Lower circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration

Meta-analysis of observational studies (higher vs lower 25(OH)D) for Sporadic colorectal adenoma recurrence: OR 0.87 (95% CI 0.57 to 1.33), not statistically significant. Umbrella review outcome-level evidence grade: No conclusion.

• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational… 2014 All outcomes
  OR 0.87 [0.57, 1.33]
  3 studies · 1366 participants
  GRADE not reported

Higher circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration vs Lower circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration

Meta-analysis of observational studies (higher vs lower 25(OH)D) for Ischaemic heart disease: HR 0.72 (95% CI 0.65 to 0.81), statistically significant. Umbrella review outcome-level evidence grade: No conclusion.

• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational… 2014 All outcomes
  HR 0.72 [0.65, 0.81]
  19 studies · 82982 participants
  GRADE not reported

Higher circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration vs Lower circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration

Meta-analysis of observational studies (higher vs lower 25(OH)D) for Breast cancer (Premenopausal): RR 1.01 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.06), not statistically significant. Umbrella review outcome-level evidence grade: Substantial effect unlikely.

• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational… 2014 All outcomes

  Premenopausal
  RR 1.01 [0.97, 1.06]
  6 studies · 2890 participants
  GRADE not reported
• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational… 2014 All outcomes

  Postmenopausal
  RR 0.99 [0.97, 1.01]
  9 studies · 8766 participants
  GRADE not reported
• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational… 2014 All outcomes
  OR 0.55 [0.42, 0.71]
  21 studies · 26317 participants
  GRADE not reported

Higher circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration vs Lower circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration

Meta-analysis of observational studies (higher vs lower 25(OH)D) for Metabolic syndrome (prevalent): OR 0.49 (95% CI 0.38 to 0.64), statistically significant. Umbrella review outcome-level evidence grade: Suggestive.

• Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational… 2014 All outcomes
  OR 0.49 [0.38, 0.64]
  8 studies · 31416 participants
  GRADE not reported