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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. Every word you type has to appear somewhere in the question, and the closest matches are ranked first.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Birpou,2019 [25]; model performance 8 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR+ 1.88 [1.24, 2.74] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Supraomohyoid neck dissection vs Modified radical neck dissection Recurrence · Adults with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment (2023) · Cochrane | Recurrence: reported but not usable (variable follow-up) (Guo 2014). | 1 study | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Root caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Hayes,2017 [33]; model performance 5 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR− 0.41 [0.28, 0.61] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Resin composite (RC) vs Glass ionomer cement (GIC) Secondary caries (occurrence) · Patients requiring dental restoration; permanent teeth · 2 or more years of follow-up Clinical efficacy of bioactive restorative materials in controlling secondary caries: a systematic review… (2023) | RR 2.00 [1.10, 3.64] | 13 studies · 728 participants | Very low |
38% SDF (one-time application) vs Information unavailable New coronal carious lesions or fillings on permanent (first) molars (caries prevention) · Children with dental caries in permanent (first) molars · 12 months, Mauro 2004 (permanent first molars, one-time SDF; Argentina) A systematic review on the effect of silver diamine fluoride for management of dental caries in permanent… (2023) | Prevented Fraction 57 | 1 study · 141 participants | Ungraded |
Dental caries (assessed by DMFT/deft/dmft, WHO criteria or PUFA) vs Individuals without dental caries Oral health-related quality of life (dichotomous: poor vs not) · Indians across all ages (children, adolescents, adults, elderly) Impact of oral conditions on oral health-related quality of life among Indians- a systematic review and… (2023) | OR 3.54 [2.24, 5.60] | 10 studies · 4945 participants | Moderate |
Full-time clear plastic (removable) retainer vs Any type of fixed (bonded) retainer Stability: Little's Irregularity Index (lower arch) · People who had received fixed appliance orthodontic treatment · 12 months, lower arch Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces (2023) · Cochrane | MD 0.60 [0.17, 1.03] | 1 study · 84 participants | Very low |
Indirect restorations (crowns, fixed partial dentures, inlays/onlays/veneers) vs None (single-group incidence) Periapical pathosis · Vital teeth restored with indirect restorations · Follow-up ≤5 to >10 years, Single-unit restorations Incidence and influential factors in pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis following indirect restorations:… (2023) | Proportion 2.20 [1.12, 3.61] | 6 studies · 2339 participants | Ungraded |
Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L) vs Normal vitamin D level (serum 25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/L) Dental caries · Children (<19 years) · Adjusted for confounders Correlation between vitamin D levels in serum and the risk of dental caries in children: a systematic review… (2023) | RR 1.16 [1.10, 1.22] | NR | Ungraded |
Prosthetic need vs Individuals without prosthetic need Oral health-related quality of life (continuous), measured by OHIP-14 · Indian elderly and general-population adults Impact of oral conditions on oral health-related quality of life among Indians- a systematic review and… (2023) | Prosthetic need and QoL (continuous, OHIP-14): prosthetic need was significantly related to various components of OHRQoL (Joseph 2016). Single study, not pooled. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Pang,2021 [19]; model performance 3 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR+ 1.73 [1.42, 2.12] | 1 study | Ungraded |
OHI + 38% SDF (applied every 12 months) vs oral health instruction plus water new root-surface carious lesions or restorations · community-dwelling older adults with root caries · 24 months A systematic review on the effect of silver diamine fluoride for management of dental caries in permanent… (2023) | Preventative fraction (%) 28 | 1 study · 266 participants | Ungraded |
Biodentine vs Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Clinical and radiographic success (composite) · Patients with carious pulp exposure in permanent teeth undergoing DPC or pulpotomy · ≥6 months follow-up Comparative efficacy of materials used in patients undergoing pulpotomy or direct pulp capping in carious… (2023) | Biodentine vs MTA was the second most frequent comparison (5 RCTs) for the primary outcome but was not pooled owing to substantial clinical/statistical heterogeneity; the panel of per-trial forest plots (Figure 8)… | 5 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Caries arrest rate in permanent posterior teeth · Mendiratta 2021 (intellectually disabled, India) A systematic review on the effect of silver diamine fluoride for management of dental caries in permanent… (2023) | Caries arrest rate (%) 94.5 vs 90.1 (p=0.405, NS) | 1 study | Ungraded |
Indirect restorations (crowns, fixed partial dentures, inlays/onlays/veneers) vs None (single-group incidence) Pulp necrosis · Vital teeth restored with indirect restorations · Follow-up ≤5 to >10 years, Glass ionomer (GIC) permanent cement Incidence and influential factors in pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis following indirect restorations:… (2023) | Proportion 5.33 [2.56, 9.03] | 182 participants | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Gao,2013 [29]; model performance 6 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR− 0.15 [0.02, 1.10] | 1 study | Ungraded |
CPP-ACP vs Control (placebo / no active therapy) Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic… Comparison of therapies of white spot lesions: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. (2023) | SMD -0.18 [-0.49, 0.14] | 8 studies | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Pang,2021 [19]; model performance 4 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR− 0.43 [0.3, 0.51] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Hänsel Petersson,2002 [18]; model performance 1 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR+ 2.03 [1.48, 2.79] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Tooth location Pulp necrosis incidence · Vital teeth · Cheung et al. 2005 maxillary posterior Incidence and influential factors in pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis following indirect restorations:… (2023) | Proportion 23.7 | 1 study | Ungraded |
Early childhood caries / severe early childhood caries vs Caries-free children Risk of malnutrition (younger children, 6 months to 6 years) · Children in early childhood (0-6 years) · Zahid et al. 2020 (Nepal; children 6 months-6 years) The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review. (2023) | MD 0.13 [-0.64, 0.38] | 1 study · 273 participants | Ungraded |
Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) vs Calcium hydroxide (CH) Clinical and radiographic success · Patients with carious pulp exposure in mature permanent teeth · 1 to 3 years, Mature teeth Comparative efficacy of materials used in patients undergoing pulpotomy or direct pulp capping in carious… (2023) | OR 3.34 [1.81, 6.17] | 5 studies · 537 participants | Moderate |
Dental caries (assessed by DMFT/deft/dmft, WHO criteria or PUFA) vs Individuals without dental caries Oral health-related quality of life (continuous), measured by OHIP-14 / ECOHIS / Michigan Oral Health QoL · Indians across all ages (children, adolescents, adults, elderly) Impact of oral conditions on oral health-related quality of life among Indians- a systematic review and… (2023) | SMD 0.87 [0.34, 1.40] | 6 studies · 4511 participants | Moderate |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Root caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Ritter,2016 [22]; model performance 1 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR− 0.43 [0.29, 0.66] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Carious dentin vs Sound dentin Cathepsin B presence/activity · Human coronal carious dentin and sound dentin Presence of host and bacterial-derived collagenolytic proteases in carious dentin: a systematic review of ex… (2023) | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 22 participants | Very low |
Pulp-status assessment method Pulp necrosis incidence · Vital teeth · Objective Incidence and influential factors in pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis following indirect restorations:… (2023) | Proportion 5.66 [3.71, 7.99] | 24 studies · 6581 participants | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Birpou,2019 [25]; model performance 13 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR+ 1.62 [1.12, 2.35] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L) vs Normal vitamin D level (serum 25(OH)D ≥ 50 nmol/L) Dental caries · Children (<19 years) · Case-control studies Correlation between vitamin D levels in serum and the risk of dental caries in children: a systematic review… (2023) | RR 1.05 [1.00, 1.09] | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Gao,2013 [29]; model performance 3 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR+ 3.0 [2.36, 3.82] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Elective neck dissection (at time of primary tumour resection) vs Therapeutic (delayed) neck dissection Mortality (overall survival) · Adults with oral cavity cancer (tongue or floor of mouth) and clinically negative neck nodes · 3 years Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment (2023) · Cochrane | HR 0.64 [0.50, 0.83] | 4 studies · 883 participants | Moderate |
Gingivitis (assessed by gingival index or WHO criteria) vs Individuals without gingivitis Oral health-related quality of life (dichotomous: poor vs not) · Indians (adolescents, adults, elderly, children) Impact of oral conditions on oral health-related quality of life among Indians- a systematic review and… (2023) | Gingivitis vs no gingivitis: studies show inconsistency; one study showed poor QoL (Shivakumar 2018, OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.67), two studies no significant association (Baiju 2019, Singh 2020); 943 participants, 3… | 3 studies · 943 participants | Very low |
Sentinel node biopsy (neck dissection only if biopsy positive) vs Elective neck dissection Disease-free survival (new disease, progression, and mortality) · Adults with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer · 3 years Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment (2023) · Cochrane | HR 0.98 [0.90, 1.07] | 1 study · 279 participants | Low |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Hänsel Petersson,2015 [30]; model performance 4 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR− 0.93 [0.89, 0.97] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Gum chewing (sugar-free) vs No gum chewing (control) Self-reported xerostomia / symptoms of dry mouth · Elderly (>60 years) and medically compromised adults with xerostomia / dry mouth · Various (single session to 3 months) The effect of gum chewing on xerostomia and salivary flow rate in elderly and medically compromised… (2023) | Narrative vote-count: of 17 studies measuring self-reported xerostomia / dry mouth, 12 found a positive effect of gum chewing [18,19,21,23,24,25,26,27,30,31,38,40] and 5 detected no effect [17,29,33,34,37]. No study… | 17 studies | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Beck,1992 [24]; model performance 6 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR+ 2.27 [1.95, 2.64] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Fontana,2011 [16]; model performance 1 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR+ 1.90 [1.57, 2.31] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Superselective neck dissection vs Selective neck dissection Locoregional recurrence · Adults with oral cavity cancer (tongue or floor of mouth) and clinically negative neck nodes Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment (2023) · Cochrane | Locoregional recurrence: data not presented usably and inconsistent; Pandey 2018 no difference (3/12 vs 3/20); Rastogi 2018 lower recurrence with superselective (Kaplan-Meier P<0.05); 72 participants (2 RCTs). | 2 studies · 72 participants | Very low |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Disney,1992 [15]; model performance 2 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR− 0.49 [0.42, 0.57] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Christian,2020 [27]; model performance 1 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR− 0.74 [0.42, 1.31] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Indirect restorations (crowns, fixed partial dentures, inlays/onlays/veneers) vs None (single-group incidence) Pulp necrosis · Vital teeth restored with indirect restorations · Follow-up ≤5 to >10 years, Objective pulp-status assessment Incidence and influential factors in pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis following indirect restorations:… (2023) | Proportion 5.66 [3.71, 7.99] | 6581 participants | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthwash (adjunct to mechanical cleaning) vs Blank control (no mouthwash; before-after comparison) Total bacteria (colony count) · Orthodontic patients (any age) undergoing orthodontic treatment (mostly fixed appliances) · <=3 months (short-term) The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic… (2023) | Colony count of total bacteria were significantly reduced compared to placebos according to two studies [34, 43]. | 2 studies | Very low |
Tooth location Pulp necrosis incidence · Vital teeth · Kontakiotis et al. 2015 mandibular anterior Incidence and influential factors in pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis following indirect restorations:… (2023) | Proportion 11.8 | 1 study | Ungraded |
Elective neck dissection (at time of primary tumour resection) vs Therapeutic (delayed) neck dissection Disease-free survival (new disease, progression, and mortality) · Adults with oral cavity cancer (tongue or floor of mouth) and clinically negative neck nodes · 3 years Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment (2023) · Cochrane | HR 0.56 [0.45, 0.70] | 5 studies · 954 participants | Moderate |
Multivariable caries prediction model vs Additional prediction model(s) Coronal caries increment · Individuals of all ages · Follow-up ≥1 year, Birpou,2019 [25]; model performance 7 Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. (2023) | LR− 0.68 [0.50, 0.93] | 1 study | Ungraded |
CPP-ACFP vs Control (placebo / no active therapy) Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic… Comparison of therapies of white spot lesions: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. (2023) | SMD -0.42 [-0.84, 0.00] | 5 studies | Ungraded |
Glass ionomer cement (GIC) vs Resin composite (RC) Secondary caries (occurrence) · Patients requiring dental restoration; permanent teeth · 1 year of follow-up Clinical efficacy of bioactive restorative materials in controlling secondary caries: a systematic review… (2023) | RR 0.33 [0.10, 1.05] | 5 studies · 380 participants | Low |
Surgery plus radiotherapy vs Radiotherapy alone Adverse events associated with treatment · Adults with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment (2023) · Cochrane | Adverse events: severe acute effects in both groups (subcutaneous fibrosis, telangiectasia, moderate-to-severe oedema, xerostomia, trismus, dysphagia); subcutaneous fibrosis more prevalent with surgery + radiotherapy… | 1 study · 35 participants | Very low |
Strategies to integrate oral health into primary care (e.g., training/education of non-dental primary care professionals, policy/financing and health-insurance changes, colocation of dental and medical services, interprofessional and community-health-worker collaboration, teledentistry, integrated oral health assessment tools, school-based activities) vs No integration / usual care (or pre-integration baseline; many included studies uncontrolled) Oral disease outcomes, including dental caries estimates · People of all ages and abilities served through primary care and related settings (children, pregnant women, older… Strategies to integrate oral health into primary care: a systematic review. (2023) | Nine studies reported oral disease outcomes, seven of which measured change in dental caries estimates. Eight of the nine studies reported improved oral disease outcomes; one (Vichayanrat 2012) reported no change in… | 9 studies | Ungraded |
Clear aligners (CA) vs Conventional fixed orthodontic appliances (CF) Plaque accumulation (Plaque Index) · Orthodontic patients undergoing comprehensive treatment (late mixed or permanent dentition, no active caries) · 12 months, Follow-up: 12 months White spot lesions, plaque accumulation and salivary caries-associated bacteria in clear aligners compared… (2023) | SMD -2.14 [-3.64, -0.64] | 3 studies · 113 participants | Ungraded |
Fibre-reinforced composite fixed (bonded) retainer vs Multistrand / spiral wire fixed (bonded) retainer Adverse effects on oral health: Gingival Index (lower arch) · People who had received fixed appliance orthodontic treatment · 12 months, lower arch Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces (2023) · Cochrane | No RCTs at 12-month follow-up; 1 RCT at 6 months: higher gingival inflammation with fibre-reinforced composite (MD 0.59, 95% CI 0.13 to 1.05; very low-certainty) | 0 studies | No studies |