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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

2,066 questions · 3,346 findings · 178 reviews · Dental caries

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No studies found 48 · 1.4%GRADE not reported 2,789 · 83.4%Very low 208 · 6.2%Low 129 · 3.9%Moderate 136 · 4.1%High 36 · 1.1%

History of toothache vs No history of toothache

Dental caries · Primary school children in Ethiopia

A history of toothache was associated with higher odds of dental caries (OR 2.99, 95% CI 2.679-3.314; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

C allele vs A allele

Dental caries · Children (<18 years) with vs without dental caries

ApaI(rs7975232) allelic model: C vs A was not significantly associated with dental caries (OR 0.89); ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

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

Er:YAG laser irradiation of sound enamel before acid challenge vs No anticaries intervention (untreated enamel)

Enamel demineralization (QLF ΔF) · Human tooth enamel specimens, sound/intact (in vitro)

Er:YAG laser irradiation significantly reduced enamel mineral loss versus untreated control (SMD -2.09, 95% CI -3.29 to -0.88; 4 in vitro studies; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) vs No cleft lip and/or palate (non-CL/P)

Streptococcus mutans count · Children and adolescents aged 0-18 years with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (CLP)

No difference in mean Streptococcus mutans presence was reported; GRADE was not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Institutionalization (living in an orphanage/institution) vs Parented children living with their families

Caries in primary teeth: dmft (3 years) · Institutionalized orphan children (roughly 3 to 18 years)

Primary-teeth caries experience (dmf) was higher in institutionalized children than parented children but not significantly so (pooled MD 0.64; very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Extraction of the mandibular permanent first molar vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence)

Rotation of the mandibular first premolar · Children and adolescents after extraction of a mandibular permanent first molar (before eruption of the second molar)

After mandibular first molar extraction, the first premolar was rotated in about 38% of cases (2 studies; very imprecise; not GRADE-rated).

1 finding from 1 review

Second molar at Demirjian stage A-D at extraction vs Second molar at Demirjian stage F-H at extraction

Spontaneous space closure · Children and adolescents with maxillary permanent first molar extraction

In the maxilla, M2 Demirjian stages A-D were not associated with a statistically significant difference in space closure odds.

1 finding from 1 review

Fixed orthodontic treatment with fixed (multibracket) appliances (exposure) vs None (single-group prevalence/incidence estimate)

Incidence of new ICLs (proportion of subjects developing new lesions) · Patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment with fixed (multibracket) appliances, followed for development of new ICLs

About 48% of patients developed new ICLs during fixed orthodontic treatment (pooled incidence 0.48, 95% CI 0.33-0.63; very low certainty; very high heterogeneity).

1 finding from 1 review

Fixed orthodontic treatment with fixed (multibracket) appliances (exposure) vs None (single-group prevalence/incidence estimate)

Prevalence of ICLs (proportion of tooth surfaces affected) · Patients (permanent dentition) during or after fixed orthodontic treatment with fixed (multibracket) appliances

About 22% of tooth surfaces showed ICLs during/after fixed orthodontic treatment (pooled 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33; very low certainty; extreme heterogeneity).

1 finding from 1 review

Fixed orthodontic treatment with fixed (multibracket) appliances (exposure) vs None (single-group prevalence/incidence estimate)

Prevalence of ICLs (proportion of subjects affected) · Patients (permanent dentition) during or after fixed orthodontic treatment with fixed (multibracket) appliances

Around 57% of patients had ICLs during or after fixed orthodontic treatment (pooled prevalence 0.57, 95% CI 0.48-0.65; very low certainty; very high heterogeneity).

1 finding from 1 review

Non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (CLP) status and its oral microbiota (exposure/grouping) vs Children and adolescents aged 0-18 years without CLP (controls)

Periodontal conditions (gingival inflammation, bleeding on probing, probing depth, clinical attachment loss) · Children and adolescents aged 0-18 years with non-syndromic cleft lip and palate (CLP)

Narrative synthesis of 6 studies suggests children/adolescents with CLP have poorer periodontal status (higher gingival and plaque indices, deeper probing, more bleeding and attachment loss) and harbor periodontopathogens; no pooled estimate and the evidence is ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Teledentistry diagnosis using DSLR or smartphone extra-oral photographs vs Visual or clinical examination

d/D dft/DFT or dmft/DMFT score differences · Children and adults with primary or permanent dentition

Eight studies calculated caries-score differences; six reported no significant difference, one underestimation, and one overestimation with teledentistry.

1 finding from 1 review

Oral cancer patients (cases) vs Healthy controls

Periodontitis (clinical attachment loss) · Adults in case-control studies (oral cancer patients vs healthy controls)

Clinical attachment loss was significantly greater in oral cancer patients than controls (SMD 1.94, 95% CI 0.22-3.66), though heterogeneity was very high (I2=96.7%); ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review