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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. Words match anywhere in the field.
5,762 questions in 263 reviews · Dental caries
current versionsNo studies 321 · 5.6%Ungraded 4,450 · 77.2%Very low 455 · 7.9%Low 297 · 5.2%Moderate 200 · 3.5%High 39 · 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Self-assembling/remineralizing peptide (e.g., P11-4, PAA-PASP) vs No biomimetic remineralization (control) Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · Artificial caries-affected dentin (ACAD) in extracted permanent human teeth (in vitro) · 24 h (immediate), Self-Etch + chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD 1.530 [-2.373, 5.434] | 3 studies | Moderate |
Intervention NR Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 3: secondary caries · HDI: Very high Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 2.98 [2.23, 3.98] | 10 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 8: disruption of occlusal integrity · HDI: Medium Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 0.31 [0.08, 1.13] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Electronic cigarette use vs Non-smokers IL-1β level · People who use electronic cigarettes · Saliva The effects of electronic smoking on dental caries and proinflammatory markers: a systematic review and… (2025) | Cohen's d 0.87 [-0.33, 2.08] | 9 studies | Ungraded |
Higher national income (GNI per capita) vs Lower national income (GNI categories: middle <=$15,000 / high $15,001-25,000 / very high >$25,000) Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022) · Cross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022), Very high income (GNI >$25,000) Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European… (2025) | MEAN 0.90 [0.66, 1.15] | 14 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 3: secondary caries · Coverage: Not covering Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 6.64 [4.83, 9.11] | NR | Ungraded |
Genetically predicted periodontitis vs Without periodontitis (lower genetic liability) Lacunar stroke · European-ancestry adults (GWAS) The contribution of oral infectious diseases in lacunar stroke based on meta-analysis and Mendelian… (2025) | OR 1.24 [1.03, 1.49] | NR | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Reduction of preformed S. mutans biofilms · In vitro Postbiotics and Dental Caries: A Systematic Review. (2025) | no estimate extracted | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Anticaries vaccine or antibody (DNA, recombinant protein, nanoparticle-adjuvanted, live-vector, plant-based, or passive IgY immunization) targeting S. mutans vs Control (unvaccinated / empty vector / PBS / placebo animals) Salivary / secretory IgA (SIgA) antibody response (immunogenicity) · Animal caries models (mice, rats, hamsters) challenged/colonized with Streptococcus mutans; one transgenic-plant… Assessing the Efficacy and Immunogenicity of Anticaries Vaccine-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2025) | no estimate extracted | NR | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 5: open margin · HDI: Low Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 3.87 [2.18, 6.86] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Gamified oral health interventions (mobile apps, serious games, augmented reality, game-based education) vs Conventional or traditional oral health education, or non-gamified interventions (comparator varied; several studies were single-arm/uncontrolled) Plaque control / oral hygiene clinical status (plaque index) · Children and adolescents aged <=18 years · Post-intervention (predominantly short-term; long-term follow-up in a minority of studies) The Application of Gamification in Children's Oral Health Management: Systematic Review. (2025) | In the gamified mobile health app group, plaque control was superior (P<.05) compared with the conventional method group [Zolfaghari 2021]; a gamified/reminder sticker-book group showed a significant improvement in… | NR | Ungraded |
Cavity liner (calcium hydroxide, glass-ionomer cement, resin-modified calcium silicate/TheraCal LC, hydraulic calcium silicate/MTA or Biodentine, flowable composite, or other liner material) vs No cavity liner or a different liner material Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) · Patients with deep caries lesions in mature or immature permanent (posterior) teeth, with no symptoms or reversible… · >=6 months Efficacy of different cavity liners compared to no cavity lining in managing deep caries in vital permanent… (2025) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Partial pulpotomy with permanent restoration after more than 14 days vs No comparator Clinical and radiographic success rate · Adults aged 18 years or older with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure · Permanent restoration after more than 14 days Partial pulpotomy for carious pulp exposure in adult mature permanent teeth: a systematic review and… (2025) | Success rate (%) 23.2 [13.4, 33.0] | NR | Ungraded |
Theory-based oral health education/promotion interventions (HBM, TPB, SCT, HAPA, TTM, PMT, SOC, PRECEDE-PROCEED, MI) vs Control (waitlist, routine/standard oral health education, or minimal intervention) DMFT scores (decayed, missing, filled teeth) · Children and adolescents aged 5-18 years · Post-intervention (follow-up 3 to 12 months, varies by study), Overall Health promotion theory-based educational interventions for improving oral health in children and… (2025) | SMD -0.11 [-0.27, 0.04] | 4 studies · 2556 participants | Low |
Hall technique vs Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) Treatment success (caries lesion arrest or restoration survival) · Children (aged 3-11 y) with cavitated caries lesions in primary teeth · 12 months, 12-month follow-up Comparative success of minimally invasive treatments for cavitated caries in primary teeth: a network… (2025) | OR 6.15 [2.55, 14.83] | 43 studies | Moderate |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 7: non-stable (mobile) restoration · HDI: Very high Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 30.92 [8.85, 108.02] | 10 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 2: loss of dental hard substance adjacent to the restoration · Continent: Africa Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 6.31 [4.73, 8.42] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Genetically predicted DMFS (dental caries) vs Lower genetically predicted DMFS Femur fracture · European GWAS participants · SVMR Maximum Likelihood From teeth to bone: dental caries has causal effects on osteoporosis and osteoporotic fracture. (2025) | OR 1.137 [0.976, 1.325] | 489106 participants | Ungraded |
quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) vs reference standard detection of proximal caries · primary teeth with proximal caries · primary dentition Diagnostic accuracy of quantitative light-induced fluorescence in detecting caries of various types and… (2025) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Intervention NR Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 5: open margin · Continent: South America Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 2.59 [1.59, 4.22] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Self-assembling/remineralizing peptide (e.g., P11-4, PAA-PASP) vs Calcium phosphate agent (e.g., CPP-ACP, Ca/P-PILP, niobophosphate) Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · Artificial caries-affected dentin (ACAD) in extracted permanent human teeth (in vitro) · 24 h (immediate), Etch-and-Rinse + chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD 3.448 [-1.833, 8.729] | 1 study | Low |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 5: open margin · HDI: Medium Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 3.49 [1.30, 9.36] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Gamified mobile health app vs Conventional method Plaque control · Children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger The Application of Gamification in Children's Oral Health Management: Systematic Review. (2025) | In the gamified app group in one study, plaque control was superior (P<.05) compared to the conventional method group. | 1 study | Ungraded |
Higher parental education (tertiary) vs Lower parental education (reference) Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa · Maternal tertiary education [Kabil] Prevalence and risk factors for early childhood caries in North Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025) | OR 0.083 [0.03, 0.21] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Inactivated-bacteria tablets (Probio-Eco) vs Placebo, fluoride toothpaste, or standard post-filling care (varies by trial) Improved caries prognosis via restored oral microbiota · Patients after dental filling · 14 days Postbiotics and Dental Caries: A Systematic Review. (2025) | One RCT reported that adjuvant postbiotic tablets after dental filling improved caries prognosis by restoring oral microbiota diversity, structure and function and reducing potentially pathogenic bacteria (Liu 2024);… | 1 study | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 2: loss of dental hard substance adjacent to the restoration · HDI: Very high Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 4.07 [2.85, 5.81] | 10 studies | Ungraded |
Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) vs Placebo Treatment success (caries lesion arrest or restoration survival) · Children (aged 3-11 y) with cavitated caries lesions in primary teeth · 6 months, 6-month follow-up Comparative success of minimally invasive treatments for cavitated caries in primary teeth: a network… (2025) | OR 16.18 [1.21, 215.73] | 44 studies | Ungraded |
Very high Human Development Index (HDI >=0.800) vs High Human Development Index (HDI 0.700-0.799) Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022) · Cross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022), High HDI (0.700-0.799) Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European… (2025) | MEAN 3.41 | NR | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 3: secondary caries · Continent: Africa Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 11.43 [7.88, 16.56] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Human Development Index (HDI) vs Higher vs lower HDI categories Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL sum score, transformed 0-100) · Community-dwelling elderly persons aged ≥60 years · High HDI Association between oral health-related quality of life and structural determinants of health among elderly… (2025) | MEAN 79.9 [74.4, 85.5] | NR | Ungraded |
E-cigarette use (electronic nicotine delivery systems / vaping) vs Non-smokers (non-users) Dental caries and cariogenic bacteria (Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli) · Adult e-cigarette (ENDS) users (general oral health; predominantly natural dentition) An Umbrella Review of E-Cigarettes' Impact on Oral Microbiota and Biofilm Buildup. (2025) | Narrative synthesis: e-cigarette use linked to increased cariogenic bacteria (S. mutans, Lactobacilli) and worsening dental caries, with flavored e-liquids noted as a caries risk factor (Zieba, Camoni, Yang… | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Hall technique vs Conventional restoration Treatment success (caries lesion arrest or restoration survival) · Children (aged 3-11 y) with cavitated caries lesions in primary teeth · 12 months, 12-month follow-up Comparative success of minimally invasive treatments for cavitated caries in primary teeth: a network… (2025) | OR 2.92 [1.40, 6.11] | 43 studies | Low |
Theory-based oral health education/promotion interventions (HBM, TPB, SCT, HAPA, TTM, PMT, SOC, PRECEDE-PROCEED, MI) vs Control (waitlist, routine/standard oral health education, or minimal intervention) Periodontal health (gingival/periodontal indices) · Children and adolescents aged 5-18 years · Post-intervention (follow-up 2 weeks to 6 months, varies by study), Overall Health promotion theory-based educational interventions for improving oral health in children and… (2025) | SMD -1.18 [-1.83, -0.53] | 4 studies · 3342 participants | Moderate |
Higher drinking-water fluoride exposure vs Null / lowest drinking-water fluoride exposure (reference) Risk of fragility fractures · General population (both sexes, all ages) · Long-term / lifetime fluoride exposure, Drinking-water fluoride 1.8 mg/L vs null The association of fluoride exposure with bone density and fracture risk: a dose-response meta-analysis. (2025) | RR 1.05 [0.82, 1.35] | NR | Ungraded |
Calcium phosphate vs Fluorine Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · permanent human teeth with artificial caries-affected dentin · 24 h, Etch-and-Rinse; chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD -1.224 [-5.931, 3.482] | 1 study | Low |
quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) vs reference standard detection of proximal caries · human primary or permanent teeth with dental caries lesions · Permanent dentition (all 3 included studies) Diagnostic accuracy of quantitative light-induced fluorescence in detecting caries of various types and… (2025) | Sensitivity 0.83 | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Amalgam: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 7: non-stable (mobile) restoration · Continent: Europe Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 47.19 [16.50, 134.95] | 6 studies | Ungraded |
Lower unemployment rate vs Higher unemployment rate (low <=5% / medium >5-10% / high >10%) Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022) · Cross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022), Medium unemployment (>5-10%) Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European… (2025) | MEAN 2.08 | NR | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 7: non-stable (mobile) restoration · Continent: Europe Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 33.41 [10.33, 108.04] | 6 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Composite: Preference for replacement over repair - Scenario 8: disruption of occlusal integrity · Continent: South America Clinical Decision-Making of Repair vs. Replacement of Defective Direct Dental Restorations: A Multinational… (2025) | RR 0.46 [0.09, 2.23] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Partial pulpotomy with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) hemostatic agent vs Partial pulpotomy without NaOCl / alternative hemostatic agent Clinical and radiographic success rate · Adults (>=18 y) with mature permanent teeth and deep carious pulp exposure · >=1 year, Hemostatic agent (NaOCl use and concentration) Partial pulpotomy for carious pulp exposure in adult mature permanent teeth: a systematic review and… (2025) | Meta-regression across included studies: NaOCl concentration did not significantly affect success when a tri-calcium silicate capping material was used; the use of NaOCl itself showed borderline significance (higher… | NR | Ungraded |
Low tooth brushing frequency (<2 times/day) vs High tooth brushing frequency (>=2 times/day) Early childhood caries (presence/prevalence/severity by dmft/dmfs) · Healthy children under 6 years of age (6 months to 6 years); preschool children · Primary analysis (all 8 studies) Optimal tooth brushing initiation age and frequency for preventing early childhood caries: a systematic… (2025) | OR 2.11 [1.25, 3.55] | 8 studies · 14981 participants | Ungraded |
Higher national income (GNI per capita) vs Lower national income (GNI categories: middle <=$15,000 / high $15,001-25,000 / very high >$25,000) Caries experience (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children across European countries (national/regional epidemiological surveys, 2011-2022) · Cross-sectional (survey data 2011-2022), High income (GNI $15,001-25,000) Caries status in 12-year-old children, geographical location and socioeconomic conditions across European… (2025) | MEAN 2.38 [1.78, 2.97] | 8 studies | Ungraded |
E-cigarette use (electronic nicotine delivery systems / vaping) vs Non-smokers (non-users) Self-reported gingivitis · Adult e-cigarette (ENDS) users (general oral health; predominantly natural dentition) An Umbrella Review of E-Cigarettes' Impact on Oral Microbiota and Biofilm Buildup. (2025) | Narrative synthesis: a meta-analysis within Camoni et al. combining 6 primary studies found an association between e-cigarette use and self-reported gingivitis, with high heterogeneity (Camoni [28]); the umbrella… | 1 study | Ungraded |
Higher drinking-water fluoride exposure vs Null / lowest drinking-water fluoride exposure (reference) Risk of fragility fractures · General population (both sexes, all ages) · Long-term / lifetime fluoride exposure, Sensitivity (excluding high risk-of-bias studies): 0.8-1.5 mg/L vs null The association of fluoride exposure with bone density and fracture risk: a dose-response meta-analysis. (2025) | RR 0.93 [0.72, 1.21] | NR | Ungraded |
Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) vs Reference standard (histology; some ICDAS/radiography) Occlusal caries detection: specificity · Extracted human teeth (in vitro); permanent and primary teeth, occlusal surfaces · Permanent dentition Diagnostic accuracy of quantitative light-induced fluorescence in detecting caries of various types and… (2025) | Specificity 0.66 | 3 studies | Ungraded |
HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy, >=3 drugs) vs HIV-positive not receiving HAART (standard ART or HAART-naive) Dental caries (presence/absence) · Children and adolescents under 18 years with HIV · Not specified (cross-sectional), Cross-sectional studies; DMFT index Association between antiretroviral therapy and dental caries in children and adolescents with HIV: a… (2025) | OR 1.29 [0.59, 2.84] | NR | Ungraded |
High periodontal-disease prevalence vs Not applicable OHRQoL sum score transformed to 0-100 · Community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or older · Baseline for longitudinal studies, High periodontal-disease prevalence Association between oral health-related quality of life and structural determinants of health among elderly… (2025) | There were no statistically significant differences reported in the OHRQoL sum scores based on periodontal disease prevalence. | NR | Ungraded |
Calcium-based agent vs Fluoride agent (e.g., NaF/SDF/KF/CaF2) Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · Artificial caries-affected dentin (ACAD) in extracted permanent human teeth (in vitro) · 24 h (immediate), Self-Etch + chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD -0.523 [-5.404, 4.358] | 3 studies | Low |
Epilepsy (as exposure/condition) vs Healthy participants without epilepsy (control group) DMFT (permanent teeth) · Children and adolescents with epilepsy · Children/adolescents Evaluating the DMFT and dmft indices in people with epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (2025) | SMD 0.334 [-0.140, 0.827] | NR | Ungraded |