Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

516 questions · 950 findings · 74 reviews · Dental caries

No studies found 35 · 3.7%GRADE not reported 831 · 87.5%Very low 38 · 4%Low 26 · 2.7%Moderate 13 · 1.4%High 7 · 0.7%

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Salivary flow rate (stimulated) · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

Stimulated salivary flow rate was significantly lower in anorexia nervosa patients than controls, but only unstimulated flow was meta-analyzed; this outcome is ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Anorexia nervosa (as exposure; diagnosed by DSM-III/III-R/IV/V) vs Healthy controls

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · Patients with anorexia nervosa aged >=12 years (mean age ~18.4; entirely female in reported data), general community-dwelling population

Anorexia nervosa probably reduces unstimulated salivary flow rate versus healthy controls (MD -0.27 ml/min, 95% CI -0.31 to -0.24; moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Early childhood caries / severe early childhood caries vs Caries-free controls

Stunting · Children aged ≤6 years (early childhood)

One Nepalese cross-sectional study found caries severity significantly correlated with chronic malnutrition/stunting (HAZ; p<0.0001), especially in rural children; ungraded, no effect size reported.

3 findings from 1 review

External control of fluoride concentration vs Not applicable

Water samples with fluoride concentration below the acceptable range · Brazilian cities in the Southeast region with artificially fluoridated public water supplies

In the Southeast region, 24.6% of samples were below the acceptable range.

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride concentration relative to the acceptable range (electrometric ion-selective electrode measurement; acceptable range mostly 0.6-0.8 ppmF) vs None (descriptive proportion meta-analysis)

Water samples with fluoride concentration below the acceptable range · Artificially fluoridated public water supply in Brazilian cities (water samples under external control)

In the Northeast Brazilian region, a pooled 79.7% of water samples had fluoride below the acceptable range; ungraded.

2 findings from 1 review

Surgery +/- radiotherapy + (adjuvant) chemotherapy vs Surgery +/- radiotherapy alone (observation or adjuvant radiotherapy only)

Overall survival, post-surgery chemotherapy vs surgery alone (no radiotherapy) · People receiving curative-intent treatment for oral cavity and oropharyngeal (squamous cell) cancer

Surgery +/- radiotherapy + (adjuvant) chemotherapy showed no clear difference in overall survival, adjuvant chemotherapy vs observation alone… compared with surgery +/- radiotherapy alone (observation or adjuvant radiotherapy… (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Gastroesophageal or laryngopharyngeal reflux (GERD/LPR) vs Healthy controls

Salivary function impairment (buffering capacity, flow rate, oral pH) · Adults with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR)

Reflux is associated with impaired salivary function (notably reduced buffering capacity) as a proposed pathophysiological mechanism, based on several ungraded studies.

1 finding from 1 review
  • Laryngopharyngeal reflux, gastroesophageal reflux and dental disorders: A systematic review. 2020 All outcomes
    Adult patients in gastroenterology, ENT and dental clinical settings
    Mixed/controversial salivary findings: reduced salivary buffering capacity supported in three studies (Correa, Holbrook, Filipi) with low oral pH and reduced flow as additional factors in GERD patients, but Meurman and Schroeder found no significant salivary abnormalities; no pooled estimate.
    6 studies
    GRADE not reported

All fluorescence-based devices (red, blue, and green fluorescence combined) vs Reference standard (histology, excavation, or enhanced visual examination)

Diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) by subgroup: Low dentine-caries prevalence (<=14%) (detection of early enamel caries, D1 threshold) · Asymptomatic children, adolescents, or adults presenting for clinical examination (in vivo studies), or extracted teeth of children or…
1 finding from 1 review

Oral-health promotion programs (OHPPs): community-based oral-health education/training, supervised toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste and topical fluoride, dental screening, and dietary advice vs No oral-health promotion program, or a differing (usual-care) action under similar conditions

Cost‐effectiveness · Children aged 6 years and older (healthy except for dental caries)

In children aged 6 years and older, the cost-effectiveness estimate was extremely imprecise and not significant (OR 0.00, 95% CI 0.00 to 48704.6; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Bilateral extraction of compromised mandibular first permanent molars vs Age- and gender-matched non-extraction controls

Lower incisor inclination (lingual tipping and retrusion) · Children (approximately 11 years or older) with compromised mandibular first permanent molars

Bilateral lower first permanent molar extraction was associated with lingual tipping and retrusion of the lower incisors in one case-control study; ungraded.

1 finding from 1 review

Vitamin D vs placebo or control

Performance measures: lower extremity strength · Older or community-dwelling adults

Meta-analysis of randomised trials of vitamin D supplementation for Performance measures: lower extremity strength, Older adults: SMD 0.05 (95% CI -0.11 to 0.20), not statistically significant. Umbrella review outcome-level evidence grade: Substantial effect unlikely.

1 finding from 1 review

Vitamin D vs placebo or control

Serum low‐density lipoprotein (LDL, mmol/L) · Adults (general population)

Meta-analysis of randomised trials of vitamin D supplementation for Low density lipoprotein: WMD 3.23 (95% CI 0.55 to 5.9), statistically significant. Umbrella review outcome-level evidence grade: Suggestive.

1 finding from 1 review

Direct resin composite veneer vs Indirect resin composite veneer

Pain following treatment · Patients with permanent anterior teeth with intrinsic staining suitable for laminate veneer restorations

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

High Streptococcus mutans colonization in primary dentition (age 2-3 years) vs Lower Streptococcus mutans load

Caries (DMFT/DMFS) in mixed/permanent dentition · School children and adolescents (6-18 years) followed from primary dentition (baseline examination before 72 months of age)

Higher early Streptococcus mutans colonization is associated with more caries in the mixed/permanent dentition (2 studies; not pooled; not GRADE-rated).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride toothpaste vs Not applicable (single-group prevalence)

Fluoride toothpaste use prevalence (among children with caries) · Children with dental caries (deciduous and/or permanent dentition) in low- and middle-income countries

About 39% of children with caries in LMICs used fluoride toothpaste (pooled prevalence 0.391, 95% CI 0.166 to 0.644; 2 studies; not GRADE-rated).

1 finding from 1 review