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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

2,066 questions · 3,346 findings · 178 reviews · Dental caries

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No studies found 48 · 1.4%GRADE not reported 2,789 · 83.4%Very low 208 · 6.2%Low 129 · 3.9%Moderate 136 · 4.1%High 36 · 1.1%

Sealant (any type) vs no treatment

Arrest or reversal of noncavitated approximal carious lesions · Children and adults with noncavitated carious lesions on approximal surfaces (primary and permanent teeth)

Sealant may be more effective than no treatment for arrest or reversal of approximal carious lesions (RR 2.41, 95% CI 1.26 to 4.58; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Colour clinical examination (visual shade categorization: yellow, light brown, dark brown, black) vs Hardness clinical examination (tactile texture categorization: soft, medium/leathery, hard)

Discriminant power for caries severity: effect size (f) for microbial load (log10 CFU) between lesion categories · Patients with dentine carious lesions (deciduous/permanent teeth; children and adults)

The weighted effect size favoured hardness (f=2.62) over colour (f=0.46) for discriminating microbial load, supporting hardness as the more reliable examination (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

38% SDF solution (applied biannually) vs 12% SDF solution (applied biannually)

Arrest of advanced cavitated carious lesions on any coronal surface · Preschool children with advanced cavitated carious lesions on any coronal surface (primary teeth)

38% SDF solution (applied biannually) was more effective than 12% SDF solution (applied biannually) for arrest or reversal of cavitated coronal carious lesions (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.41; high certainty).

4 findings from 1 review
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38% silver diamine fluoride vs Fluoride varnish

Arrest or reversal of noncavitated and cavitated root carious lesions · Adults (including institutionalized/older adults) with noncavitated and cavitated carious lesions on root surfaces (permanent teeth)

38% SDF solution (applied annually) may not differ from 5% NaF varnish for arrest or reversal of root carious lesions (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.04 to 9.66; very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

1.23% APF gel vs CPP-ACP

Arrest or reversal of noncavitated carious lesions on any coronal surface · Children and adults with noncavitated carious lesions on any coronal surface (primary and permanent teeth)

1.23% APF gel was probably more effective than 10% CPP-ACP paste for arrest or reversal of any-coronal carious lesions (RR 2.19, 95% CI 1.83 to 2.61; moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Intervention not reported

Dental caries prevalence · Children (<12 years) and adolescents (12-18 years) with type 1 diabetes

Caries prevalence was highest in South American studies at 84% (95% CI 0.67 to 0.94); certainty not graded.

1 finding from 1 review

0.2% NaF mouthrinse + supervised toothbrushing vs Sealant

Arrest or reversal of noncavitated occlusal carious lesions · Children and adults with noncavitated carious lesions on occlusal surfaces (primary and permanent teeth)

0.2% NaF mouthrinse + supervised toothbrushing may not differ from Sealant for arrest or reversal of occlusal carious lesions (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.14; low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Intervention not reported

Dental caries prevalence · Children (<12 years) and adolescents (12-18 years) with type 1 diabetes

Caries prevalence in Asian studies was 67% (95% CI 0.43 to 0.85); certainty not graded.

1 finding from 1 review

color contrast: black vs dark brown/light brown/yellow vs hardness contrast: soft vs medium/hard

total microbial load (log10 CFU) · humans with open primary dentine caries

In one study, hardness category differences exceeded color category differences; no meta-analysis was conducted.

1 finding from 1 review

Intervention not reported

Dental caries prevalence · Children (<12 years) and adolescents (12-18 years) with type 1 diabetes

Caries prevalence was lowest among those with good metabolic control at 47% (95% CI 0.30 to 0.64); certainty not graded.

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

DMFT/DMFS index (dental caries experience) · Children aged 0-12 years in the United Kingdom

In UK studies, OHPPs were associated with lower DMFT/S (OR 0.04, 95% CI 0.00 to 0.58; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Intervention not reported

Dental caries prevalence · Children (<12 years) and adolescents (12-18 years) with type 1 diabetes

Caries prevalence in European studies was 57% (95% CI 0.41 to 0.72); certainty not graded.

1 finding from 1 review

38% SDF solution (applied biannually) vs 38% SDF solution (applied annually)

Arrest of advanced cavitated carious lesions on any coronal surface · Preschool children with advanced cavitated carious lesions on any coronal surface (primary teeth)

38% SDF solution (applied biannually) was more effective than 38% SDF solution (applied annually) for arrest or reversal of cavitated coronal carious lesions (RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.3; high certainty).

4 findings from 1 review
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Sealant (any type) vs no treatment

Arrest or reversal of noncavitated occlusal carious lesions · Children and adults with noncavitated carious lesions on occlusal surfaces (primary and permanent teeth)

Sealant was probably more effective than no treatment for arrest or reversal of occlusal carious lesions (RR 1.98, 95% CI 1.61 to 2.44; moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Placebo rinse vs Pre-treatment (baseline, same group)

Lactobacillus count (pre- vs post-treatment) · Medically healthy individuals (adults and children, 6-60 years)

Placebo rinse did not significantly change Lactobacillus counts relative to baseline; not GRADE-rated.

1 finding from 1 review

Laser enamel preparation alone (Er,Cr:YSGG or CO2 laser) vs Acid-etching (phosphoric acid)

Development of >=1 new carious lesion (caries incidence) · Caries-free children to young adults with premolars/molars requiring pit-and-fissure sealants

In the single study reporting it, caries incidence was 0% in both the laser-alone and acid-etching groups (ungraded, single study).

1 finding from 1 review

1% chlorhexidine + 1% thymol varnish vs 38% SDF + potassium iodide solution (applied annually)

Arrest or reversal of noncavitated and cavitated root carious lesions · Adults (including institutionalized/older adults) with noncavitated and cavitated carious lesions on root surfaces (permanent teeth)

1% chlorhexidine + 1% thymol varnish may not differ from 38% SDF + potassium iodide solution (applied annually) for arrest or reversal of root carious lesions (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.11 to 4.45; very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Salvadora persica (miswak) mouthrinse vs Pre-treatment (baseline, same group)

Lactobacillus count (pre- vs post-treatment) · Medically healthy individuals (adults and children, 6-60 years)

Salvadora persica rinse reduced Lactobacillus counts relative to baseline; not GRADE-rated.

1 finding from 1 review

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) vs Children and adolescents without JIA (healthy peers)

Temporomandibular disorders (TMD), TMJ arthritis/involvement and orofacial pain · Children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)

TMD and TMJ arthritis/involvement (and orofacial pain) were consistently reported more frequently in children/adolescents with JIA than in healthy peers, though several studies had small samples; no pooled estimate (ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review