Specificity for detection of enamel caries · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)
Visual or visual-tactile classification had a summary specificity of 0.81 (95% CrI 0.73, 0.87) for detecting enamel caries; low certainty.
2 findings from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection of enamel caries · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)
Fluorescence-based devices had a summary sensitivity of 0.76 (95% CrI 0.68, 0.82) for detecting enamel caries; low certainty.
2 findings from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection of enamel caries · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)
Electrical conductance or impedance had a summary sensitivity of 0.83 (95% CrI 0.66, 0.92) for detecting enamel caries; low certainty.
1 finding from 1 review
Specificity for detection of enamel caries · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)
Radiographic imaging had a summary specificity of 0.89 (95% CrI 0.83, 0.93) for detecting enamel caries; low certainty.
2 findings from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection of enamel caries · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)
In the fully within-person analysis, radiographic imaging had a summary sensitivity of 0.48 (95% CrI 0.35, 0.62); ungraded.
2 findings from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection of enamel caries · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)
Transillumination and OCT had a summary sensitivity of 0.76 (95% CrI 0.63, 0.86) for detecting enamel caries; low certainty.
1 finding from 1 review
Specificity for detection of enamel caries · Asymptomatic children or adults suspected of enamel caries (clinical studies); extracted teeth (in vitro studies)
Electrical conductance or impedance had a summary specificity of 0.72 (95% CrI 0.44, 0.89) for detecting enamel caries; low certainty.
1 finding from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
1 finding from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
17 findings from 1 review
Show 14 more findings
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Dentine-caries (D3) prevalence low <15% (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.36 [0.25, 0.47]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Reference standard: excavation (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.51 [0.27, 0.74]
5 studies
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Analogue and digital combined (non-CBCT); 97 datasets
Sensitivity 0.46 [0.40, 0.51]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Dentine-caries (D3) prevalence high >=35% or unreported (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.50 [0.40, 0.59]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Sensitivity analysis: low risk of bias for index test
Sensitivity 0.51 [0.43, 0.61]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Sensitivity analysis: excluding high/unclear risk of bias reference standard
Sensitivity 0.51 [0.45, 0.57]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Setting: in vivo / clinical (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.56 [0.43, 0.69]
17 studies
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Setting: in vitro (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.44 [0.37, 0.50]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Sensitivity analysis: low dentine-caries prevalence <15%
Sensitivity 0.34 [0.25, 0.45]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Reference standard: histology (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.46 [0.39, 0.53]
64 studies
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies)
Sensitivity 0.47 [0.40, 0.53]
77 studies
Low
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Occlusal surfaces (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.45 [0.35, 0.54]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Primary dentition (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.52 [0.40, 0.63]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Proximal surfaces (non-CBCT)
Sensitivity 0.47 [0.39, 0.55]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Specificity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
3 findings from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
1 finding from 1 review
Sensitivity · Children, adolescents, or adults presenting asymptomatically or suspected of early enamel caries (in vivo), or extracted teeth of…
2 findings from 1 review
Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Permanent dentition
Permanent dentition (4 studies): sensitivity ranged from 0.55 to 0.65.
4 studies
GRADE not reported
Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Primary dentition
Primary dentition (3 studies): sensitivity ranged from 0.91 to 0.93. No evidence of a difference in accuracy by dentition (removing accuracy covariate: Chi2=3.15, df=1, P=0.08).
3 studies
GRADE not reported
Specificity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
17 findings from 1 review
Show 14 more findings
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Setting: in vitro (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.89 [0.84, 0.92]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Proximal surfaces (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.89 [0.84, 0.93]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Primary dentition (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.87 [0.77, 0.93]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Occlusal surfaces (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.88 [0.80, 0.93]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Sensitivity analysis: excluding high/unclear risk of bias reference standard
Specificity 0.87 [0.83, 0.90]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Reference standard: excavation (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.96 [0.80, 0.99]
5 studies
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Dentine-caries (D3) prevalence medium 15-34% (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.87 [0.78, 0.92]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies)
Specificity 0.88 [0.84, 0.92]
77 studies
Low
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Analogue and digital combined (non-CBCT); 97 datasets
Specificity 0.89 [0.86, 0.92]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Sensitivity analysis: low dentine-caries prevalence <15%
Specificity 0.91 [0.87, 0.94]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Dentine-caries (D3) prevalence low <15% (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.91 [0.85, 0.95]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Setting: in vivo / clinical (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.89 [0.78, 0.95]
17 studies
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Reference standard: enhanced visual (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.91 [0.77, 0.97]
8 studies
GRADE not reported
Imaging modalities to inform the detection and diagnosis of early caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies) · Reference standard: histology (non-CBCT)
Specificity 0.88 [0.83, 0.92]
64 studies
GRADE not reported
Sensitivity · Children, adolescents, or adults presenting asymptomatically or suspected of early enamel caries (in vivo), or extracted teeth of…
1 finding from 1 review
Electrical conductance for the detection of dental caries 2021 · Cochrane All outcomesUp to 3 months between index test and reference standard (in vivo studies)
CarieScan Pro (3 studies, 244 tooth surfaces): sensitivity ranged from 0.55 to 0.91. No evidence of a difference in accuracy by device type (Chi2=0.05, df=1, P=0.82).
3 studies
GRADE not reported
Specificity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
2 findings from 1 review
Specificity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
1 finding from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection and diagnosis of early (enamel) caries · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
1 finding from 1 review
Electrical conductance devices (electronic caries monitor (ECM) and/or CarieScan Pro), used as an adjunct to clinical oral examination vs Reference standard: histology or enhanced visual examination (with or without radiographs)
Outcome not reported · Children/adolescents/adults or extracted teeth; target condition = non-cavitated enamel caries on SMOOTH tooth surfaces.
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Specificity · Children, adolescents, or adults presenting asymptomatically or suspected of early enamel caries (in vivo), or extracted teeth of…
2 findings from 1 review
Sensitivity for detection of enamel caries · Children, adolescents, or adults presenting asymptomatically or suspected of early enamel caries (in vivo), or extracted teeth of…
1 finding from 1 review