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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 |
|---|---|---|---|
Periodontal treatment (subgingival instrumentation, with or without antimicrobials/surgery) vs No active intervention/usual care Diabetic complications · People with diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2, mostly type 2) and periodontitis, at least 16 years of age · 3-4 months Treatment of periodontitis for glycaemic control in people with diabetes mellitus (2022) · Cochrane | Included studies did not report data on diabetic complications (some reported medication changes only) | 0 studies | No studies |
Dental caries (early childhood caries, ECC) vs Caries-free controls Relative abundance of Veillonella spp. · Children with early childhood caries (ECC) and caries-free children · Supragingival biofilm/plaque, Supragingival biofilm/plaque Asked by 2 reviewsMeta-Analysis Using NGS Data: The Veillonella Species in Dental Caries. (2022) | MD 3.11 [0.67, 5.55] | 4 studies · 158 participants | Ungraded |
Icon resin infiltration vs Baseline before resin infiltration Lightness change · Patients with post-orthodontic white spot lesions and permanent dentition · 6 months, Permanent teeth Changes in the Color and Brightness of White Spots Associated with Orthodontic Treatment 6 Months after the… (2022) | Cohen's d -1.76 [-2.22, -1.30] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Primary closure of the extraction socket with a mucoperiosteal flap vs Application of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) without primary closure Rate of complications and side effects of the intervention · People on antiresorptive treatment undergoing tooth extraction (at risk of MRONJ) · 90 days Interventions for managing medication‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw (2022) · Cochrane | No intraoperative complications occurred in either group. Postoperative complications: 6 participants (15.4%) in the mucoperiosteal flap group and 1 participant (2.6%) in the PRF group. | 1 study · 77 participants | Ungraded |
Ion-releasing restoration, glass ionomer-based (conventional GIC, HV-GIC, RMGIC, glass hybrid) vs Resin composite restoration Marginal adaptation (unacceptable marginal adaptation) · Patients with permanent dentition in need of restorations (all cavity types: Black's Class I, II, V, and non-carious… · 1 year, Permanent dentition; university (majority), school, and private-practice settings across multiple countries (Turkey, Brazil, Sweden, India, Vietnam, Belgium, Germany, etc.) Secondary caries and marginal adaptation of ion-releasing versus resin composite restorations: a systematic… (2022) | RD 0.01 [-0.02, 0.03] | 9 studies · 1386 participants | Low |
Pulpotomy (partial or full) vs None (single-arm pooled success proportion) Clinical and radiographic success rate (>=6 months) · Human permanent teeth with irreversible pulpitis and closed (mature) root apex due to carious pulp exposure · >=6 months, Clinical (endodontic/dental), Closed (mature) root apex Outcome of pulpotomy in permanent teeth with irreversible pulpitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022) | Proportion 0.83 [0.69, 0.91] | 8 studies | Ungraded |
Topical anaesthetic gel (prilocaine-lidocaine) vs Eugenol Pain at 48 hours (VAS 0-10) · Adults (>18 years) with established dry socket following permanent tooth extraction · 48 hours Local interventions for the management of alveolar osteitis (dry socket) (2022) · Cochrane | MD -0.20 [-1.87, 1.47] | 1 study · 35 participants | Ungraded |
Comprehensive oral health intervention (oral health education plus additional support: motivational interviewing, toothbrush/toothpaste provision, community engagement, and/or fluoride varnish/sealant application) delivered by non-dental health workers vs Control (usual care, no intervention, or comparison group) Caries experience at the tooth level (dmft) · Children (mean age newborn to ~5.2 years) and their parents/carers · Primary care and community settings; interventions delivered by non-dental health workers (multiple countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, UK, USA, etc.), Comprehensive intervention (vs oral health education only) The effectiveness of behaviour change interventions delivered by non-dental health workers in promoting… (2022) | SMD -0.47 [-0.84, -0.10] | 4 studies | Ungraded |
Visual or visual-tactile classification (e.g., ICDAS, ERK) vs Reference standard (histology, operative excavation, or enhanced visual examination) Specificity for detecting enamel caries · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies) · General dental practice; in vitro (extracted teeth) and in vivo (clinical) studies, Analysis 1: fully within-person comparison (studies evaluating >=3 index tests) Enamel Caries Detection and Diagnosis: An Analysis of Systematic Reviews. (2022) | Specificity 0.85 [0.74, 0.93] | 19 studies · 2849 participants | Ungraded |
Ion-releasing restoration, glass ionomer-based (conventional GIC, HV-GIC, RMGIC, glass hybrid) vs Resin composite restoration Secondary caries (caries around restorations), all cavity types · Patients with permanent dentition in need of restorations (all cavity types: Black's Class I, II, V, and non-carious… · 1 year, Permanent dentition; university (majority), school, and private-practice settings across multiple countries (Turkey, Brazil, Sweden, India, Vietnam, Belgium, Germany, etc.) Secondary caries and marginal adaptation of ion-releasing versus resin composite restorations: a systematic… (2022) | RD -0.00 [-0.01, 0.01] | 12 studies · 1677 participants | Low |
Composite resin with beveled cavity margin vs Composite resin without beveled cavity margin Restoration failure · Children with carious primary teeth · 1.5 years, University, Class I Clinical effectiveness of restorative materials for the restoration of carious primary teeth without pulp… (2022) | Annual failure rate (%) bevel 1.8%; no bevel 3.5% | 1 study · 32 participants | Ungraded |
Single-visit root canal treatment vs Multiple-visit root canal treatment (two or more visits) Postoperative pain intensity in the immediate postobturation period (up to 72 hours), continuous (VAS) · People aged 10 years or above requiring root canal treatment; permanent teeth with completely formed apex and without… · Up to 72 hours postobturation Single versus multiple visits for endodontic treatment of permanent teeth (2022) · Cochrane | MD 0.26 [-4.76, 5.29] | 12 studies · 1258 participants | Low |
Genetically predicted gene expression (TWAS; S-PrediXcan with GTEx v8 cis-eQTL across 49 tissues; cross-tissue S-MultiXcan) vs ECC-unaffected children (association of genetically predicted expression) Early childhood caries (ECC) - association with genetically predicted expression of TAS2R14 (chr12p13.2) · Children up to age 5-6 years (European / European non-Hispanic ancestry); 843 ECC-affected vs 2124 unaffected across 5… · Cross-sectional (ECC ascertained at the last dental exam before age 6), Population/community child cohorts: rural Appalachia (West Virginia, Pennsylvania) and Iowa (USA) and South West England; European / European non-Hispanic ancestry only, TAS2R14 (chr12p13.2); 48 (4) tissues; significant (Bonferroni p < 3.09x10-6) Association of Early Childhood Caries with Bitter Taste Receptors: A Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide… (2022) | Z-score (cross-tissue mean, S-MultiXcan) 0.47 | 5 studies · 2974 participants | Ungraded |
Food and nonalcoholic beverage marketing (exposure) vs No, less, or less powerful food marketing Food choice · Children and adolescents aged 0-19 years · Predominantly high-income countries, Overall (pooled across designs) Association of Food and Nonalcoholic Beverage Marketing With Children and Adolescents' Eating Behaviors and… (2022) | OR 1.77 [1.26, 2.50] | 27 studies | Ungraded |
Hall-technique preformed metal crown vs Non-restorative caries treatment and compomer Restoration failure · Children with carious primary teeth · 2.5 years, University, Class II Clinical effectiveness of restorative materials for the restoration of carious primary teeth without pulp… (2022) | Annual failure rate (%) PMC Hall technique 3.1%; compomer 14.7% | 1 study · 169 participants | Ungraded |
Maternal education attainment vs None (descriptive single-group pooled prevalence) Secondary/higher maternal education prevalence (among children with caries) · Children with dental caries (deciduous and/or permanent dentition) in low- and middle-income countries · Low- and middle-income countries (Brazil, Nigeria, Cambodia, Tanzania, Mexico, Ethiopia), Secondary and higher education Individual, Family, and Socioeconomic Contributors to Dental Caries in Children from Low- and Middle-Income… (2022) | Prevalence 0.4496 [0.33, 0.5722] | 7 studies · 3240 participants | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Caries experience - mean dmfs (descriptive), primary dentition · CL/P vs no CL/P; Table 4 (6 groups/4 studies) Caries in children with and without orofacial clefting: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022) | Mean dmfs (SD) CL/P 4.1 (SD 3.52) vs no CL/P 3.2 (SD 2.75) | 4 studies | Ungraded |
Nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) dentifrice/paste (fluoride-free or fluoridated) vs nHA-free / fluoride-free (negative) control Mineral loss (transversal microradiography) · Enamel/dentin specimens with initial caries lesions (or sound surfaces) in intraoral (in situ) appliances worn by… · Median 21 days (range 14-28 days), In situ (intraoral appliance); net-demineralizing model, Net-demineralizing conditions Efficacy of nano-hydroxyapatite on caries prevention-a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022) | MD -61 [-1301, 1179] | 1 study | Very low |
Intervention NR Difference in summary sensitivity (NMA, Analysis 2) · Fluorescence vs Visual Enamel Caries Detection and Diagnosis: An Analysis of Systematic Reviews. (2022) | Sensitivity difference (95% CrI) -0.07 [-0.16, 0.01] | NR | Ungraded |
Periodontal treatment (subgingival instrumentation, with or without antimicrobials/surgery) vs No active intervention/usual care Adverse effects of treatment · People with diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2, mostly type 2) and periodontitis, at least 16 years of age · 3-4 months Treatment of periodontitis for glycaemic control in people with diabetes mellitus (2022) · Cochrane | SoF comment: insufficient evidence to determine whether SRP for glycaemic control is associated with any harms; most studies did not evaluate adverse effects. Where reported (e.g. D'Aiuto 2018) serious adverse events… | NR | Ungraded |
Caries severity measurement (mean number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth, DMFT; WHO criteria) vs None (descriptive prevalence review; subgroup analyses by urban/rural status, country and year) Caries severity (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children (permanent dentition) in Africa · Africa (cross-sectional surveys), Data collection period: 2010-2014 Prevalence of dental caries in the permanent dentition amongst 12-year-olds in Africa: a systematic review… (2022) | MEAN 0.580 [0.320, 0.841] | 5 studies | Ungraded |
Traditional screening (referral card given if the inspecting dentist judges the child needs to see a dentist) vs No screening Prevalence of dental caries per child · School children (aged 4 to 15 years), primary and secondary schools in the UK and India School dental screening programmes for oral health (2022) · Cochrane | Milsom 2006 measured prevalence of dental caries as mean number of teeth with active caries in primary teeth (dt) and permanent teeth (DT); post-intervention changes from baseline were not significant, and the authors… | 1 study · 16684 participants | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine gel (0.2%, intrasocket) vs Chlorhexidine rinse (0.12%) Presence of dry socket · Adults (>18 years) having permanent tooth extraction (predominantly mandibular third molars) · Follow-up: median 7 days Local interventions for the management of alveolar osteitis (dry socket) (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.74 [0.46, 1.20] | 2 studies · 383 participants | Low |
Silver diamine fluoride (SDF, including SDF + fluoride varnish) vs Other standard-of-care caries treatments pooled (placebo, ART, or ART + fluoride varnish) Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL; ECOHIS/COHIP) · Children with dental caries (ages ~2-13 years in the pooled trials) · Post-treatment (follow-up varied by trial), Pediatric dental care; trials conducted in China, the USA, and Brazil Silver diamine fluoride and oral health-related quality of life: A review and network meta-analysis. (2022) | SMD -0.06 [-0.20, 0.08] | 5 studies · 820 participants | Ungraded |
Teriparatide 56.5 microg weekly in addition to standard care vs Teriparatide 20 microg daily in addition to standard care Healing of MRONJ (remission) · People with established (manifest) MRONJ · 6 months Interventions for managing medication‐related osteonecrosis of the jaw (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.60 [0.25, 1.44] | 1 study · 12 participants | Very low |
Caregiver help with child tooth brushing vs Children without dental caries Dental caries (association with caregiver help with tooth brushing) · Children (deciduous and/or permanent dentition) in low- and middle-income countries · Low- and middle-income countries (Brazil, Nigeria, Cambodia, Tanzania, Mexico, Ethiopia) Individual, Family, and Socioeconomic Contributors to Dental Caries in Children from Low- and Middle-Income… (2022) | OR 0.35 [0.13, 0.93] | 3 studies · 2016 participants | Ungraded |
Tap water irrigation (monoject syringe) vs No rinsing Presence of dry socket · Adults (>18 years) having permanent tooth extraction (predominantly mandibular third molars) · Follow-up: median 7 days Local interventions for the management of alveolar osteitis (dry socket) (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.36 [0.18, 0.74] | 1 study · 336 participants | Ungraded |
Zirconia crown vs Composite strip crown Restoration failure · Children with carious primary teeth · 1 year, University, Primary incisors Clinical effectiveness of restorative materials for the restoration of carious primary teeth without pulp… (2022) | Annual failure rate (%) zirconia crown 3.3%; composite strip crown 15.0% | 1 study · 32 participants | Ungraded |
Composite resin with etch-and-rinse adhesive vs Composite resin with self-etch adhesive Restoration failure · Children with carious primary teeth · 1.5 years, University Clinical effectiveness of restorative materials for the restoration of carious primary teeth without pulp… (2022) | Annual failure rate (%) etch-and-rinse 19.5%; self-etch 7.0% | 1 study · 44 participants | Ungraded |
Food and nonalcoholic beverage marketing (exposure) vs No, less, or less powerful food marketing Food choice · Children and adolescents aged 0-19 years · Predominantly high-income countries, Nonrandomized studies Association of Food and Nonalcoholic Beverage Marketing With Children and Adolescents' Eating Behaviors and… (2022) | OR 0.56 [0.05, 5.99] | 5 studies · 416 participants | Very low |
Resin infiltration (ICON, low-viscosity infiltrative resin; DMG) vs Pre-treatment baseline before infiltration (T0); pooled as a within-arm before/after change Color change of white spot lesion (color difference, T0 to T1) · Patients with post-orthodontic white spot lesions (permanent dentition, after removal of fixed multibracket… · 6 months, Post-orthodontic patients after fixed appliance removal; permanent dentition; in vivo clinical trials Changes in the Color and Brightness of White Spots Associated with Orthodontic Treatment 6 Months after the… (2022) | SMD 1.36 [1.14, 1.59] | 4 studies · 458 participants | Ungraded |
Bottle-feeding only vs Breastfeeding only Dental caries (early childhood caries) · Healthy children under 6 years in South Africa · South Africa Maternal and infant risk factors and risk indicators associated with early childhood caries in South Africa:… (2022) | OR 1.30 [0.84, 2.02] | 2 studies · 911 participants | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Enamel acid resistance / initiation of new enamel caries lesions (in vivo, narrative) · nHA vs non-fluoridated comparator: nHA significantly superior [25] (Polyakova 2020) Efficacy of nano-hydroxyapatite on caries prevention-a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022) | no estimate extracted | 1 study | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine (CHX) vs Ozonated water Reduction in level of contamination by particles <=5 um (droplet nuclei) at >=2 m from patient's oral cavity · Dental patients undergoing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) and the dental healthcare providers treating them · droplet nuclei; aerobic cultures Preprocedural mouth rinses for preventing transmission of infectious diseases through aerosols in dental… (2022) · Cochrane | MD -12.3 [-27.12, 2.52] | 1 study · 40 participants | Very low |
Chlorhexidine (CHX) vs Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) Reduction in level of contamination by particles >5 um (droplets) at <2 m from patient's oral cavity · Dental patients undergoing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) and the dental healthcare providers treating them · tempered CHX vs tempered CPC; assistant level Preprocedural mouth rinses for preventing transmission of infectious diseases through aerosols in dental… (2022) · Cochrane | MD -0.2 [-6.3, 5.9] | 1 study · 20 participants | Very low |
Caries assessment at dentine threshold vs None Caries prevalence · European adolescents aged 18 years · Europe, Exact age Dental caries at enamel and dentine level among European adolescents - a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022) | Prevalence 0.74 [0.71, 0.76] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine (CHX) vs Cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) Reduction in level of contamination by particles >5 um (droplets) at <2 m from patient's oral cavity · Dental patients undergoing aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) and the dental healthcare providers treating them · cold CHX vs tempered CPC; operator level Preprocedural mouth rinses for preventing transmission of infectious diseases through aerosols in dental… (2022) · Cochrane | MD 13.6 [6.73, 20.47] | 1 study · 20 participants | Very low |
Caries assessment at dentine threshold vs None Caries prevalence · European adolescents aged 15 years · Europe, Exact age Dental caries at enamel and dentine level among European adolescents - a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022) | Prevalence 0.50 [0.30, 0.70] | 5 studies | Ungraded |
Caries severity measurement (mean number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth, DMFT; WHO criteria) vs None (descriptive prevalence review; subgroup analyses by urban/rural status, country and year) Caries severity (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children (permanent dentition) in Africa · Nigeria (Africa), Country: Nigeria Prevalence of dental caries in the permanent dentition amongst 12-year-olds in Africa: a systematic review… (2022) | MEAN 0.60 [0.372, 0.833] | 4 studies | Ungraded |
Chlorhexidine gel 1% vs Chlorhexidine gel 0.2% Presence of dry socket · Adults (>18 years) having permanent tooth extraction (predominantly mandibular third molars) · Follow-up: median 7 days Local interventions for the management of alveolar osteitis (dry socket) (2022) · Cochrane | RR 0.55 [0.15, 2.05] | 1 study · 88 participants | Ungraded |
Caries severity measurement (mean number of decayed, missing and filled permanent teeth, DMFT; WHO criteria) vs None (descriptive prevalence review; subgroup analyses by urban/rural status, country and year) Caries severity (mean DMFT) · 12-year-old children (permanent dentition) in Africa · Africa (school-based, community, household and national cross-sectional surveys) Prevalence of dental caries in the permanent dentition amongst 12-year-olds in Africa: a systematic review… (2022) | MEAN 1.09 [0.914, 1.266] | 28 studies | Ungraded |
Dental caries assessment (WHO/clinical diagnostic criteria; caries = DMFT>0) vs None (descriptive prevalence review; subgroup analyses by urban/rural status, country and year) Caries prevalence · 12-year-old children (permanent dentition) in Africa · Kenya (Africa), Country: Kenya Prevalence of dental caries in the permanent dentition amongst 12-year-olds in Africa: a systematic review… (2022) | Prevalence 0.33 [0.066, 0.584] | 3 studies | Ungraded |
Random forest classifier using KEGG Orthology features vs Caries versus healthy disease-state labels External disease-state discrimination · Oral microbiome samples from four selected case-control studies · Human oral samples Meta-analysis of caries microbiome studies can improve upon disease prediction outcomes. (2022) | AUC 0.75 | 4 studies | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Difference in summary specificity (NMA, Analysis 2) · Imaging vs Visual Enamel Caries Detection and Diagnosis: An Analysis of Systematic Reviews. (2022) | Specificity difference (95% CrI) 0.08 [0.01, 0.16] | NR | Ungraded |
Icon resin infiltration vs Baseline before resin infiltration Lightness change · Patients with post-orthodontic white spot lesions and permanent dentition · 6 months, Permanent teeth Changes in the Color and Brightness of White Spots Associated with Orthodontic Treatment 6 Months after the… (2022) | Cohen's d 0.40 [0.11, 0.65] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Genetically predicted gene expression (TWAS; S-PrediXcan with GTEx v8 cis-eQTL across 49 tissues; cross-tissue S-MultiXcan) vs ECC-unaffected children (association of genetically predicted expression) Early childhood caries (ECC) - association with genetically predicted expression of IGSF5 (chr21q22.2) · Children up to age 5-6 years (European / European non-Hispanic ancestry); 843 ECC-affected vs 2124 unaffected across 5… · Cross-sectional (ECC ascertained at the last dental exam before age 6), Population/community child cohorts: rural Appalachia (West Virginia, Pennsylvania) and Iowa (USA) and South West England; European / European non-Hispanic ancestry only, IGSF5 (chr21q22.2); 27 (11) tissues; suggestive (p < 1.0x10-4) ; flagged possible false positive Association of Early Childhood Caries with Bitter Taste Receptors: A Meta-Analysis of Genome-Wide… (2022) | Z-score (cross-tissue mean, S-MultiXcan) 0.63 | 5 studies · 2974 participants | Ungraded |
Flowable resin composite vs Fluoride-releasing resin-based sealant Retention of sealant (complete or partial retention) · Children who were regular dental attenders with caries-free first or second primary molars (public health service… · 12 months Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth (2022) · Cochrane | Effect estimate not calculable. All sealants were completely or partially retained; 40 (1 RCT). Flowable composite: 39/40 completely retained (1 partially lost) at 6 months; resin-based: 33 completely and 7 partially… | 1 study · 40 participants | Low |
Caries assessment at enamel threshold vs None Caries experience · European adolescents aged 18 years · Europe, Exact age Dental caries at enamel and dentine level among European adolescents - a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2022) | Mean DMFS 14.98 [11.87, 18.90] | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Food and nonalcoholic beverage marketing (exposure) vs No, less, or less powerful food marketing Purchase requests · Children and adolescents aged 0-19 years · Predominantly high-income countries, Randomized trials Association of Food and Nonalcoholic Beverage Marketing With Children and Adolescents' Eating Behaviors and… (2022) | Combination of P values statistically significant in both model iterations, indicating evidence of an association of food marketing with purchase requests. | 5 studies | Moderate |
Referral to a specific dental treatment facility vs Generic advice letter to see a dentist Number of caries in permanent teeth (DT index) · School children, primary school in Saudi Arabia · median 11 months School dental screening programmes for oral health (2022) · Cochrane | MD 0.30 [-0.03, 0.63] | 1 study · 362 participants | Very low |