Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

1,692 questions · 2,586 findings · 180 reviews · Dental caries

No studies found 194 · 7.5%GRADE not reported 1,937 · 74.9%Very low 248 · 9.6%Low 136 · 5.3%Moderate 52 · 2%High 19 · 0.7%

Cesarean section delivery vs Vaginal delivery

Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children with average age ≤3 years

No significant association between cesarean vs vaginal delivery and ECC among children with average age ≤3 years (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.67-1.10).

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Glass ionomer cement (GIC) plus fluoride varnish

Caries arrest · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)

It is very uncertain whether silver diamine fluoride (SDF) changes caries arrest compared with glass ionomer cement (GIC) plus fluoride varnish (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Sociodemographic and behavioural factors (older age, lower education, lower income, poor oral hygiene/brushing, smoking, disadvantaged/slum residence, sex) vs Referent groups (younger, higher education/income, better oral hygiene, non-slum residence)

Determinants of oral diseases · Adult residents of slums and non-slum urban settings of LMICs

Age, education, income, oral-hygiene behaviour, dental-visit pattern and slum/disadvantaged residence are associated with oral disease; gender effects are disease-specific; ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Primary teeth / primary dentition (younger children) vs Permanent teeth / permanent dentition (older children)

Dental caries susceptibility · Institutionalized orphan children (roughly 3 to 18 years)

Primary teeth may carry a higher caries risk than permanent teeth in institutionalized children (RR 1.31), but the difference is not statistically significant (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Fluoride varnish

Caries arrest · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

3 findings from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Placebo, control, and/or other interventions

Caries arrestment at the tooth level · Children and adults without systemic diseases affecting dental health

SDF showed a higher caries-free proportion at the tooth level, but the reported difference was not statistically significant.

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Silver nitrate plus fluoride varnish

Caries arrest · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) showed no clear difference in caries arrest compared with silver nitrate plus fluoride varnish (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs placebo or no treatment

Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
2 findings from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Fluoride varnish

Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review

Slum / urban-disadvantaged setting vs Non-slum urban / general-urban / national population

Self-perceived (self-rated) oral health status · Adult residents of slums and non-slum urban settings of LMICs

Most participants perceive their oral health as satisfactory (one study 39%), more so among younger, male, higher-SES and employed people; ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs Atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) with glass ionomer cement (GIC) or glass ionomer material

Caries arrest · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

2 findings from 1 review

Slum / urban-disadvantaged setting vs Non-slum urban setting

Self-perceived (self-rated) oral health status · Adult residents of slums and non-slum urban settings of LMICs

Most participants reported positive perceptions of oral health, despite observed disease burden.

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) vs placebo or no treatment

Aesthetics · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review

Er:YAG laser irradiation of enamel after demineralisation vs No anticaries intervention (untreated enamel)

Enamel surface microhardness · Demineralised / white-spot-lesion enamel (in vitro specimens)

In demineralised enamel, Er:YAG laser irradiation did not significantly change surface microhardness versus untreated control (SMD 0.66, 95% CI -1.12 to 2.44; 2 in vitro studies; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review