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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

1,966 questions · 3,201 findings · 165 reviews

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No studies found 25 · 0.8%GRADE not reported 2,717 · 84.9%Very low 167 · 5.2%Low 124 · 3.9%Moderate 132 · 4.1%High 36 · 1.1%

Older adults (population mean age >33.4 years) vs Not applicable

Dental caries · Adult participants in 25 meta-regression studies

The unadjusted meta-regression coefficient for older mean age was 4.324884.

2 findings from 1 review

Low polymerization shrinkage resin composite (silorane, ormocer, bulk-fill or other modified-monomer composite) vs Conventional methacrylate-based resin composite

Retention (restoration loss) · People with permanent posterior teeth restored with class I or II direct restorations

At 24 months, retention did not differ significantly between the composites (6 studies; ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Low polymerization shrinkage resin composite (silorane, ormocer, bulk-fill or other modified-monomer composite) vs Conventional methacrylate-based resin composite

Postoperative sensitivity · People with permanent posterior teeth restored with class I or II direct restorations

Postoperative sensitivity at 12 months did not differ significantly between low polymerization shrinkage and methacrylate composites (OR 1.65, 95% CI 0.71 to 3.81; Moderate certainty).

2 findings from 1 review

Populations with a lower proportion of university-educated people (<33.78% with university level) vs Not applicable

Dental caries · Adult participants in 25 meta-regression studies

The Model 1 adjusted meta-regression coefficient for lower university education was -4.132903.

2 findings from 1 review

Low level of schooling (>33.60% of the population) vs Not applicable

Dental caries · Adult participants in 25 meta-regression studies

The unadjusted meta-regression coefficient for low schooling was -2.301079.

2 findings from 1 review

Gamified mobile health app vs Conventional method

Plaque control · Children or adolescents

One RCT reported superior plaque control with a gamified mobile health app versus a conventional method; no effect estimate or GRADE assessment was reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Composite strip crown (CSC) with a post (microhybrid composite resin, Amelogen) vs Post type: composite post (CP) vs fibre post (FP) vs reverse metal post (RMP)

Treatment failure (annual failure rate) · Children with severely decayed maxillary primary incisors treated by pulpectomy (non-vital pulp therapy)

Composite strip crowns with composite posts had a low annual failure rate (2.3%) in maxillary primary incisors after pulpectomy (single high-risk-of-bias RCT; low quality of evidence; not GRADE-rated).

3 findings from 1 review

Conventional GIC vs Amalgam or metal-reinforced GIC

Treatment failure (annual failure rate) · Children with previously unrestored, vital carious lesions in primary teeth (no pulp therapy); aged 1.5-11 years

Conventional GIC had an annual failure rate of 7.6-16.6% (2 RCTs) and failed more than amalgam in one trial; low quality of evidence (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Amalgam vs Preformed metal crown (PMC)

Treatment failure (annual failure rate) · Children with carious primary molars treated by pulpotomy (vital pulp therapy)

Preformed metal crowns had a low annual failure rate (2.4%) in primary molars after pulpotomy, lower than amalgam in the same trial (single high-risk-of-bias RCT; low quality of evidence; not GRADE-rated).

2 findings from 1 review

Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) vs Calcium hydroxide (CH)

Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure

In partial pulpotomy, MTA had significantly higher success than calcium hydroxide (OR 2.81; ungraded).

5 findings from 2 reviews · compare the 2 reviews
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Maternal smoking during pregnancy vs No maternal smoking during pregnancy

Dental caries · children

Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with higher odds of dental caries in children (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.55 to 2.05; ungraded).

14 findings from 2 reviews · compare the 2 reviews
Show 11 more findings

Dental caries vs Adolescents without dental caries

Negative oral-health impact on daily performance (OIDP or Child-OIDP) · Adolescents (10-19 years)

In the Child-OIDP subgroup, dental caries is associated with a worse oral-health impact: PR 1.66 (95% CI 1.19 to 2.31) from 6 studies (I2=96%); ungraded, and not statistically different from the OIDP subgroup (p=0.96).

5 findings from 1 review
  • Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomes
    Cross-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) · Instrument subgroup: Child-OIDP
    PR 1.66 [1.19, 2.31]
    6 studies
    GRADE not reported
  • Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomes
    Cross-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) · Instrument subgroup: OIDP (all 3 studies)
    PR 1.68 [0.89, 3.17]
    3 studies
    GRADE not reported
  • Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomes
    Cross-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) · Instrument subgroup: OIDP, sensitivity analysis excluding Krisdapong et al.
    PR 1.21 [1.15, 1.28]
    2 studies
    GRADE not reported
Show 2 more findings
  • Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomes
    Cross-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) · Overall (all meta-analyzed studies pooled; both instruments and both caries definitions)
    PR 1.52 [1.15, 2.01]
    9 studies
    GRADE not reported
  • Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomes
    Cross-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: presence of dental caries
    PR 1.19 [0.77, 1.84]
    3 studies
    GRADE not reported

Low tooth brushing frequency (<2 times/day) vs High tooth brushing frequency (>=2 times/day)

Early childhood caries (ECC) · Healthy children under 6 years of age (6 months to 6 years); preschool children

After excluding an extreme outlier (Alhabdan 2018), the association between low brushing frequency and ECC remained statistically significant (pooled OR approximately 2.0, p=0.003; I2=87.5%); the exact estimate and its CI were not reported; ungraded.

2 findings from 1 review

Low edentulism prevalence vs Not applicable

Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community

No statistically significant difference in OHRQoL was reported by edentulism prevalence.

1 finding from 1 review

Breastfeeding for more than 24 months vs Not breastfed at the same age or breastfed for a shorter duration

Early childhood caries (ECC) - incidence/risk · Children with exclusively primary dentition (age ≤71 months)

Breastfeeding beyond 24 months is associated with an increased risk (incidence) of early childhood caries versus not breastfeeding at the same age (RR 2.44, 95% CI 1.97 to 3.02; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Intervention not reported

Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 2: loss of dental hard substance adjacent to the restoration

The intervention showed no clear difference in composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 2: loss…; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review