Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

Refine by population, intervention, comparison or outcome
More filters
Evidence found and GRADE certainty

1,378 questions · 2,146 findings · 145 reviews · Oral Health

No studies found 167 · 7.8%GRADE not reported 1,674 · 78%Very low 148 · 6.9%Low 113 · 5.3%Moderate 40 · 1.9%High 4 · 0.2%

ART using resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RM-GIC) vs Conventional treatment using RM-GIC

Secondary caries · Older adults with root caries in permanent (mature) teeth (mean age 75 years)
1 finding from 1 review

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) vs Low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less)

Caries development in permanent teeth · People of all ages in a community setting; the included caries studies were all in children aged 3 to 16 years

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) may leads to lower caries in permanent teeth (change in DMFT) compared with low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less) (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Cessation of water fluoridation (fluoride removed from the water supply) vs Continued fluoridated water

Change in proportion of caries-free children (deciduous or permanent teeth) · People of all ages in a previously fluoridated community (Maupome 2001: children with generally low caries experience)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) vs Low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less)

Disparities in caries across socioeconomic status (SES) · People of all ages in a community setting; the included caries studies were all in children aged 3 to 16 years
1 finding from 1 review
  • There is insufficient information to determine whether initiation of a water fluoridation programme results in a change in disparities in caries levels across SES. Data from 3 observational studies (participants not…
    3 studies · 35399 participants
    Low

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) vs Low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less)

Change in proportion of caries-free children (permanent teeth) · People of all ages in a community setting; the included caries studies were all in children aged 3 to 16 years

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) may leads to higher change in proportion of caries-free children (permanent teeth) compared with low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less) (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Chlorhexidine varnish (10% and 40%) vs placebo or no treatment

Caries increment in permanent teeth · Children and adolescents below 18 years at study start (included studies: children from birth to 15 years), with mixed, permanent or…

It is very uncertain whether chlorhexidine varnish (10% and 40%) changes caries increment in permanent dentition (DMFS; higher values… compared with placebo or no treatment (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Cessation of water fluoridation (fluoride removed from the water supply) vs Continued fluoridated water

Early childhood caries experience (mean dmft) · People of all ages in a previously fluoridated community (Maupome 2001: children with generally low caries experience)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review
  • No evidence to determine the effect of the cessation of water fluoridation on caries in deciduous teeth. No included study reported change in dmft following cessation.
    0 studies
    No studies found

Cessation of water fluoridation (fluoride removed from the water supply) vs Continued fluoridated water

Dental caries in permanent teeth · People of all ages in a previously fluoridated community (Maupome 2001: children with generally low caries experience)
1 finding from 1 review
  • Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
    Follow-up 3 years
    Insufficient evidence to determine the effect of the cessation of water fluoridation on caries. One study (Maupome 2001), at high risk of bias, over 3 years found no increase in caries in the fluoride-ended group…
    1 study · 9249 participants
    Very low

Chlorhexidine gel (0.12%) vs no treatment

Presence of new caries in the primary teeth · Children and adolescents below 18 years at study start (included studies: children from birth to 15 years), with mixed, permanent or…

It is very uncertain whether chlorhexidine gel (0.12%) changes presence of new caries in the primary teeth compared with no treatment (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Cessation of water fluoridation (fluoride removed from the water supply) vs Continued fluoridated water

Disparities in caries across socioeconomic status (SES) · People of all ages in a previously fluoridated community (Maupome 2001: children with generally low caries experience)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) vs Low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less)

Caries in deciduous teeth (change in dmft) · People of all ages in a community setting; the included caries studies were all in children aged 3 to 16 years

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) may leads to lower caries in deciduous teeth (change in dmft) compared with low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less) (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Chlorhexidine varnish (10%) vs placebo or no treatment

Elevated mutans streptococci levels (>=4 with caries screen; high vs low) · Children and adolescents below 18 years at study start (included studies: children from birth to 15 years), with mixed, permanent or…

It is very uncertain whether chlorhexidine varnish (10%) changes elevated mutans streptococci levels (>=4 with caries screen; high vs… compared with placebo or no treatment (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Chlorhexidine varnish vs placebo or no treatment

Dental caries: dmfs increment (primary teeth) · Children and adolescents below 18 years at study start (included studies: children from birth to 15 years), with mixed, permanent or…
1 finding from 1 review

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) vs Low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less)

Change in proportion of caries-free children (deciduous teeth) · People of all ages in a community setting; the included caries studies were all in children aged 3 to 16 years

Initiation of water fluoridation (artificial or natural) may leads to higher change in proportion of caries-free children (deciduous teeth) compared with low/non-fluoridated water (0.4 ppm fluoride or less) (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Ozone applied to the carious lesion (10 or 40 seconds), with a fluoride reductant and oral hygiene/preventive advice vs No ozone, with a fluoride reductant and oral hygiene/preventive advice (as in the intervention group)

Further conventional dental treatment (filling and drilling) (binary yes/no) · People of any age with caries (including demineralisation in non-cavitated carious lesions); the caries may affect any single tooth…

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review
  • Data were not provided by any study on the number of lesions requiring restorations to 6 months or later; no data on any further conventional treatment or other dental interventions.
    Studies not reported
    No studies found

Ozone applied to the carious lesion (10 or 40 seconds), with a fluoride reductant and oral hygiene/preventive advice vs No ozone, with a fluoride reductant and oral hygiene/preventive advice (as in the intervention group)

Caries progression/regression (clinical severity index, log(e) ECM and log(e) DIAGNOdent scores) · People of any age with caries (including demineralisation in non-cavitated carious lesions); the caries may affect any single tooth…
1 finding from 1 review
  • Ozone therapy for the treatment of dental caries 2004 · Cochrane All outcomes
    6 and 12 months
    No consistent trend of benefit or harm following ozone was seen across the outcome measures in any of the three studies; analyses were conducted at the lesion level (not independent of the person), so data were not…
    3 studies · 137 participants
    GRADE not reported

Primary dental health aide (PDHA) service-delivery models (PDHA program; PDHA + intensive staffing; PDHA + robust prevention) vs Baseline pre-intervention service-delivery scenario

Projected Significant Caries (SiC) index · Alaska Native children (below age 18)

A simulation projected a 50% drop in the Significant Caries index for children (12.3 to 6.1) under the PDHA model (certainty not graded).

2 findings from 1 review

Primary dental health aide (PDHA) service-delivery models (PDHA program; PDHA + intensive staffing; PDHA + robust prevention) vs Baseline pre-intervention service-delivery scenario

Projected proportion of caries-free children (5-18 years) · Alaska Native children (below age 18)

A simulation projected 0% of children aged 5-18 would be caries-free under the baseline scenario (certainty not graded).

3 findings from 1 review

Dental imaging (analog or digital radiographs) vs Visual classification

Difference in sensitivity · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)

Imaging had lower sensitivity than visual classification in the fully within-person analysis.

1 finding from 1 review

Dental imaging (analog or digital radiographs) vs Visual classification

Difference in specificity · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)

Imaging and visual classification had similar specificity in the fully within-person analysis.

1 finding from 1 review