What do systematic reviews say?

Favorable socioeconomic and family environment vs Less favorable socioeconomic and family environment

The umbrella review reported better oral health-related quality of life with favorable housing, parental education, income, family environment, and access to dental care.

• Oral-health-related quality of life in adolescents: umbrella review. 2023 All outcomes
  no estimate extracted
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Compomer (Dyract) vs Resin composite restoration

In deciduous teeth at 1 year, secondary caries did not differ significantly between compomer and resin composite, with high heterogeneity (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.02-8.34; I2=83%; ungraded).

• Clinical efficacy of bioactive restorative materials in controlling secondary caries: a systematic review and network… 2023 All outcomes

  1 year of follow-up · Restorative dentistry clinical settings; primary studies conducted across multiple countries · Compomer
  RR 0.41 [0.02, 8.34]
  2 studies · 250 participants
  GRADE not reported

P11-4 + fluoride varnish vs Placebo or no active treatment

Combined self-assembling peptide P11-4 plus fluoride varnish significantly improved white spot lesion remineralization versus control (SMD -0.96, 95% CI -1.44 to -0.48) and ranked highest of seven therapies by SUCRA (89.7%); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

• Comparison of therapies of white spot lesions: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. 2023 All outcomes

  RCTs (clinical and in vitro); predominantly children and adolescents; orthodontic and non-orthodontic white spot lesions, early caries lesions, and artificial lesions
  SMD -0.96 [-1.44, -0.48]
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Light-emitting diode (LED) photobiomodulation vs Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Non‐surgical adjunctive interventions for accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) during alignment stage | Not reported
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Chlorhexidine mouthwash vs Blank control

Chlorhexidine mouthwash may reduce the Gingival Index versus blank control in the short term (WMD -0.54, 95% CI -0.96 to -0.13), but with very high heterogeneity the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).

• The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment:… 2023 All outcomes

  <=3 months (short-term) · Orthodontic patients undergoing orthodontic treatment (randomized controlled trials; multiple countries)
  WMD -0.54 [-0.96, -0.13]
  6 studies · 274 participants
  Very low

Indirect restorations (crowns, fixed partial dentures, inlays/onlays/veneers) vs Follow-up duration

The pooled incidence with > 5–10 years of follow-up was 5.53%.

• Incidence and influential factors in pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis following indirect restorations: a… 2023 All outcomes

  > 5–10 years · > 5–10 years
  Proportion 5.53 [3.74, 7.64]
  2443 participants
  GRADE not reported

Light vibrational forces (LVF) vs Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment

• Non‐surgical adjunctive interventions for accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No serious adverse effects were reported across five studies that assessed harms (Katchooi 2018; Lombardo 2018; Pavlin 2015; Reiss 2020; Taha 2020).
  5 studies
  GRADE not reported

Light vibrational forces (LVF) vs Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment

Light vibrational forces (LVF) showed no clear difference in rate of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) during space closure stage… compared with conventional orthodontic appliance treatment (placebo or no adjunct) (low certainty).

• Non‐surgical adjunctive interventions for accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Space closure stage
  MD 0.10 [-0.08, 0.29]
  2 studies · 81 participants
  Low

Superselective neck dissection vs Elective selective neck dissection

• Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes

  36 months
  Disease-free survival: Pandey 2018 reported 83% (superselective) vs 91% (selective) at median 36 months, not significant (P=0.69); unable to analyse (variable follow-up); 32 participants (1 RCT).
  1 study · 32 participants
  Very low

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

For pulpotomy, whether MTA improves success over calcium hydroxide is uncertain (OR 2.36, 95% CI 0.47-11.75; low certainty; CI includes no effect).

• Comparative efficacy of materials used in patients undergoing pulpotomy or direct pulp capping in carious teeth: A… 2023 All outcomes

  ≥6 months; follow-up range 1-2 years · Dental/endodontic clinical settings across multiple countries (university, hospital, specialist and general dental practice); permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure · Treatment performed: pulpotomy (FP/PP)
  OR 2.36 [0.47, 11.75]
  6 studies · 341 participants
  Low

Light-emitting diode (LED) photobiomodulation vs Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Non‐surgical adjunctive interventions for accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Patient-reported need for analgesics | Not reported
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Calcium hydroxide (CH) vs Biodentine

Biodentine appeared to perform better than calcium hydroxide for success, but the evidence was not pooled (2 RCTs; ungraded).

• Comparative efficacy of materials used in patients undergoing pulpotomy or direct pulp capping in carious teeth: A… 2023 All outcomes

  ≥6 months follow-up · Dental/endodontic clinical settings across multiple countries (university, hospital, specialist and general dental practice); permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure
  CH vs Biodentine was investigated in 2 RCTs for the primary outcome; not pooled. Biodentine appeared to perform better than CH (and than Theracal) in the per-trial forest plots (Figure 8). Weak evidence.
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Light vibrational forces (LVF) vs Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment

• Non‐surgical adjunctive interventions for accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Woodhouse 2015 (81 participants, 22 dropouts): PAR reduction intervention median 28.0 (IQR 21.0-38.0), control median 29.0 (IQR 24.0-31.0), placebo median 27.0 (IQR 20.0-35.0); percentage improvement medians 88.9 /…
  1 study · 59 participants
  GRADE not reported

Light vibrational forces (LVF) vs Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment

Light vibrational forces (LVF) showed no clear difference in patient-reported need for analgesics during first week of initial… compared with conventional orthodontic appliance treatment (placebo or no adjunct) (low certainty).

• Non‐surgical adjunctive interventions for accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes

  First week of initial aligning archwire
  OR 1.64 [0.60, 4.53]
  2 studies · 76 participants
  Low

CAD/CAM nitinol fixed (bonded) retainer vs Multistrand / spiral wire fixed (bonded) retainer

CAD/CAM nitinol fixed (bonded) retainer showed no clear difference in adverse effects on oral health: Gingival Index (lower arch) compared with conventional/analogue multistrand fixed (bonded) retainer (low certainty).

• Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months · lower arch
  MD 0.00 [-0.16, 0.16]
  2 studies · 107 participants
  Low

38% SDF + potassium iodide solution (applied annually) vs CPP-ACP

For early enamel lesions, annual SDF+KI was significantly less effective than twice-daily CPP-ACP (54.8% vs 100% arrested; p<0.001; ungraded).

• A systematic review on the effect of silver diamine fluoride for management of dental caries in permanent teeth. 2023 All outcomes

  24 months · Outpatient clinic · Hamdi 2022
  Proportion of lesions arrested (%) 54.8
  1 study · 45 participants
  GRADE not reported

Low‐level laser therapy vs Conventional orthodontic appliance treatment

It is very uncertain whether low level laser therapy (LLLT) changes rate of orthodontic tooth movement during alignment stage… compared with conventional orthodontic appliance treatment (very low certainty).

• Non‐surgical adjunctive interventions for accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes

  First month of alignment (also second month)
  MD 1.63 [-2.60, 5.86]
  2 studies · 56 participants
  Very low

Intervention not reported

• Oral-health-related quality of life in adolescents: umbrella review. 2023 All outcomes

  Untreated fractured tooth vs no trauma
  Relative risk (reporting impact) Fourfold (4x) greater risk
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Irradiated carious dentin vs Non-irradiated carious dentin

No difference in MMP-2 activity or expression was reported between irradiated and non-irradiated carious dentin.

• Presence of host and bacterial-derived collagenolytic proteases in carious dentin: a systematic review of ex vivo… 2023 All outcomes
  no estimate extracted
  1 study · 36 participants
  GRADE not reported

Caries-associated bacterial biofilm vs Sound/control tissue (sound dentin, sound root, or enamel caries)

Bacterial collagenolytic enzymatic activity in caries biofilm is inconclusive across two small studies (ungraded; GRADE not feasible).

• Presence of host and bacterial-derived collagenolytic proteases in carious dentin: a systematic review of ex vivo… 2023 All outcomes

  Ex vivo (extracted teeth / clinical carious or biofilm samples)
  Results are inconclusive: protein-degrading bacteria isolated from root caries biofilm were capable of degrading collagen (Prevotella, Actinobaculum, Propionibacterium predominant; proportion 7% in root caries)…
  2 studies · 9 participants
  GRADE not reported