Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

2,745 questions · 4,389 findings · 203 reviews · Oral Health

No studies found 39 · 0.9%GRADE not reported 3,844 · 87.6%Very low 198 · 4.5%Low 137 · 3.1%Moderate 134 · 3.1%High 37 · 0.8%

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

Continued root formation / root development · Patients with carious pulp exposure in permanent teeth (predominantly immature) undergoing DPC or pulpotomy

Evidence on continued root formation for calcium hydroxide versus MTA is weak and inconclusive (3 RCTs, not pooled; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Carious dentin vs Sound dentin

Cathepsin B (CT-B) presence/activity · Human ex vivo carious dentin (mostly coronal), natural caries lesions

Cathepsin B may be increased in carious dentin compared with sound dentin, but the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

38% SDF every 12 months vs water every 12 months

new carious lesions or fillings at fissure-site level · children with caries in permanent molars

SDF had a 52% preventative fraction at fissure-site level; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating was reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Multivariable caries prediction model vs Alternative prediction model(s) within the same study, or no formal comparator (models compared descriptively; no between-model statistical test)

Predictive performance for coronal caries increment (positive likelihood ratio, LR+) · Children and adolescents (aged 2-19) at risk of coronal caries increment (caries onset or progression)

Most externally validated coronal-caries models showed modest LR+ (<5); only Campus 2012 and Gao 2013 NUS-CRA reached the useful threshold; no pooled estimate; ungraded.

2 findings from 1 review
  • Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. 2023 All outcomes
    Follow-up >=1 year (included studies 1-5 years) · Oral health care; children/adolescents; no geographical restriction · Model validation studies
    No meta-analysis. Per-model LR+ (Table 2) across the 9 validation studies (31 coronal models) ranged roughly 0.78-5.53 (e.g. Beck 1.62-3.00, Christian/CAMBRA 1.09-1.14, Gao 2013 CAT ~1.03 to NUS-CRA 5.31, Campus 5.53,…
    9 studies
    GRADE not reported
  • Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal. 2023 All outcomes
    Follow-up >=1 year (included studies 1-5 years) · Oral health care; children/adolescents; no geographical restriction (11 countries across all studies) · Model development studies
    No meta-analysis (heterogeneity precluded pooling); performance given per model as LR+ recalculated by the review authors (Table 2). Across the 8 development studies (23 coronal models) LR+ spanned roughly 1.31-10.26…
    8 studies
    GRADE not reported

Favorable family structure (being an only child; nuclear family) vs Having siblings / non-nuclear family structure

Oral health-related quality of life · Adolescents (10-19 years)

Being an only child and growing up in a nuclear family are associated with better OHRQoL in adolescents (narrative synthesis; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating).

1 finding from 1 review
  • Oral-health-related quality of life in adolescents: umbrella review. 2023 All outcomes
    Community/school/clinic settings; adolescents 10-19 years; included reviews conducted in multiple countries
    Being an only child, growing up in your nuclear family or family structure, household conditions, and number of people per household and maternal age are predictors of better OHRQoL [43].
    Studies not reported
    GRADE not reported

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

Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Patients with carious pulp exposure in permanent teeth with mixed root development

The effect of MTA versus CH in teeth with mixed root development is very uncertain (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

P11-4 + fluoride varnish vs Self-assembling peptide P11-4

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 lesions, active caries…

P11-4 plus fluoride varnish did not differ significantly from P11-4 alone (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.97 to 0.17; indirect evidence only); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Placebo varnish, resin sealant, or standard care (oral hygiene instructions)

White spot lesion clinical score (mean values), subject level · Healthy adolescents and adults undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed multi-bracket appliances

In a pooled analysis of two placebo-controlled trials, fluoride varnish also reduced white spot lesion clinical scores (pooled SMD -0.44, 95% CI -0.64 to -0.24); this secondary outcome was not separately GRADE-rated.

1 finding from 1 review

Amalgam (AAG) vs Glass ionomer cement (GIC)

Secondary caries · Patients requiring dental restoration; permanent teeth

Over 2 or more years in permanent teeth, amalgam had a higher risk of secondary caries than GIC (RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.04-3.09; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Any (current minimally invasive techniques)

Not applicable (no eligible studies) · Adults with coronal (crown) dental caries in permanent teeth

No eligible studies assessed SDF for coronal caries in adults; this is an evidence gap identified by the review.

1 finding from 1 review

Probiotic mouthwash (e.g., Lactobacillus-based) vs Blank control

Cariogenic bacteria (Mutans streptococci) · Orthodontic patients (any age) undergoing orthodontic treatment (mostly fixed appliances)

Probiotic mouthwash has inconsistent effects on Mutans streptococci colony counts versus blank control; the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Treatment of traumatic dental injury vs Untreated dental trauma

Oral health-related quality of life · Adolescents (10-19 years)

Treating traumatic dental injuries reduces their negative impact on OHRQoL in adolescents (narrative synthesis; included review reports low certainty; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating by the umbrella review).

1 finding from 1 review
  • Oral-health-related quality of life in adolescents: umbrella review. 2023 All outcomes
    Community/school/clinic settings; adolescents 10-19 years; included reviews conducted in multiple countries
    Treatment of TDI reduces the negative impact on OHRQoL in adolescents, based on parental perception [33]. Treatment of traumatic dental injuries reduces the impact on the OHRQoL with low evidence [46].
    Studies not reported
    GRADE not reported

Daily chewing gum for 2 weeks or longer vs No gum chewing or control

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · Elderly (>60 years) and medically compromised adults with xerostomia / dry mouth

codex

1 finding from 1 review

Pulp-status assessment method

Pulp necrosis · Vital teeth

The pooled incidence with radiographic assessment was 4.95%.

2 findings from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Placebo or no active treatment

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 lesions, active caries…

Fluoride varnish (gold standard) did not differ significantly from control (SMD -0.25, 95% CI -0.51 to 0.02); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review