Negative oral-health impact on daily performance (OIDP or Child-OIDP) · Adolescents (10-19 years)
In the Child-OIDP subgroup, dental caries is associated with a worse oral-health impact: PR 1.66 (95% CI 1.19 to 2.31) from 6 studies (I2=96%); ungraded, and not statistically different from the OIDP subgroup (p=0.96).
5 findings from 1 review
Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (concurrent exposure and outcome); oral impacts recalled over the prior 6 months · School-based (17/20 studies), plus household and secondary-data surveys; low-, middle- and high-income countries (Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Iran, Serbia, Nepal, India, South Africa, China) · Instrument subgroup: Child-OIDP
PR 1.66 [1.19, 2.31]
6 studies
GRADE not reported
Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (concurrent exposure and outcome); oral impacts recalled over the prior 6 months · School-based (17/20 studies), plus household and secondary-data surveys; low-, middle- and high-income countries (Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Iran, Serbia, Nepal, India, South Africa, China) · Instrument subgroup: OIDP (all 3 studies)
PR 1.68 [0.89, 3.17]
3 studies
GRADE not reported
Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (concurrent exposure and outcome); oral impacts recalled over the prior 6 months · School-based (17/20 studies), plus household and secondary-data surveys; low-, middle- and high-income countries (Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Iran, Serbia, Nepal, India, South Africa, China) · Instrument subgroup: OIDP, sensitivity analysis excluding Krisdapong et al.
PR 1.21 [1.15, 1.28]
2 studies
GRADE not reported
Show 2 more findings
Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (concurrent exposure and outcome); oral impacts recalled over the prior 6 months · School-based (17/20 studies), plus household and secondary-data surveys; low-, middle- and high-income countries (Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Iran, Serbia, Nepal, India, South Africa, China) · Overall (all meta-analyzed studies pooled; both instruments and both caries definitions)
PR 1.52 [1.15, 2.01]
9 studies
GRADE not reported
Impact of dental caries on the quality of life of adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. 2025 All outcomesCross-sectional (concurrent exposure and outcome); oral impacts recalled over the prior 6 months · School-based (17/20 studies), plus household and secondary-data surveys; low-, middle- and high-income countries (Brazil, Thailand, Tanzania, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Iran, Serbia, Nepal, India, South Africa, China) · Caries-definition subgroup: presence of dental caries
PR 1.19 [0.77, 1.84]
3 studies
GRADE not reported
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
No statistically significant difference in OHRQoL was reported by edentulism prevalence.
1 finding from 1 review
Occlusion · Children receiving dental restorations (aged 4-11 years; primary teeth; Class I/II/V cavities)
Occlusion was assessed in a single trial and was not pooled or GRADE-rated (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
No statistically significant difference in OHRQoL was reported by edentulism prevalence.
1 finding from 1 review
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Adults aged 18 years or older with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure
The three-study meta-analysis found no significant difference between full and partial pulpotomy after 1 year.
1 finding from 1 review
Gingival index (GI) · Individuals assessed for periodontal health (mainly children and adolescents, age >2 years)
Persons with orofacial cleft have a higher gingival index than healthy controls (MD 0.15, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.19; low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Adequate marginal adaptation · Children receiving dental restorations (aged 4-11 years; primary teeth; Class I/II/V cavities)
No significant difference between IRR and CR in marginal adaptation (high certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Relative abundance of S. mutans in saliva · Individuals assessed for dental caries, predominantly children with early childhood caries (ECC) or severe ECC (age about 1 to 4 years)
A few small studies report Streptococcus mutans relative abundance in caries versus caries-free children without pooling; the evidence is ungraded and not meta-analyzed.
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa
Pooled ECC prevalence in Tunisia was 38% (95% CI 24-51), significantly lower than Egypt and Sudan.
10 findings from 1 review
Prevalence 38 [24, 51]
4 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 48 [39, 58]
9 studies
GRADE not reported
Prevalence 63 [52, 74]
3 studies
GRADE not reported
Show 7 more findings
Self-efficacy related to oral health · school‐age children and adolescents
Theory-based educational interventions significantly improved oral health self-efficacy (SMD 1.49; low certainty), though between-study heterogeneity was very high.
1 finding from 1 review
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
OHRQoL did not differ significantly by country-level periodontal disease prevalence; no pooled estimate was reported in the text (ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
Community-dwelling older adults in higher-income countries had better OHRQoL than those in lower-income countries (77.9, 95% CI 70.2 to 85.6 vs 66.9, 95% CI 56.7 to 77.0); the difference by income was statistically significant (ungraded).
2 findings from 1 review
MEAN 77.9 [70.2, 85.6]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
MEAN 66.9 [56.7, 77.0]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Absence of marginal discoloration · Children receiving dental restorations (aged 4-11 years; primary teeth; Class I/II/V cavities)
No significant difference between IRR and CR in marginal discoloration (moderate certainty; downgraded for inconsistency).
1 finding from 1 review
Oral health-related quality of life · people aged 60 years and older living in the community
Older adults in countries with relative income equality (low Gini index) had markedly higher OHRQoL (91.3, 95% CI 90.0 to 92.6) than those in less equal countries; the difference by Gini index was statistically significant (ungraded).
4 findings from 1 review
Show 1 more finding
MEAN 81.2 [75.3, 88.3]
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Adults aged 18 years or older with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure
Permanent restoration after 7-14 days was associated with a pooled success rate of 73.6%.
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa
Paternal tertiary education was associated with lower odds of ECC (OR 0.381).
3 findings from 1 review
OR 0.381 [0.16, 0.91]
1 study
GRADE not reported
OR 0.083 [0.03, 0.21]
1 study
GRADE not reported
OR 0.797 [0.171, 0.650]
1 study
GRADE not reported
Caries prevalence (early childhood caries) · Preschool children aged <=71 months (caries outcome assessed at 3-6 years)
Preschool children exposed to secondary smoking have higher odds of caries prevalence (OR 1.77), but the cross-sectional evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).
2 findings from 1 review
Overall success (composite of clinical and radiographic success) · Adults aged 18 years or older with mature permanent teeth and carious pulp exposure
Partial pulpotomy with MTA or Biodentine had a pooled success rate of 86.8%.
1 finding from 1 review
Early childhood caries (ECC) · Children aged 0-5 years in North Africa
Brushing twice daily was associated with lower odds of ECC (OR 0.033).
2 findings from 1 review
OR 0.033 [0.004, 0.276]
1 study
GRADE not reported
OR 0.033 [0.004, 0.263]
1 study
GRADE not reported
Oral health attitudes (1-7 scale) · school‐age children and adolescents
Theory-based interventions significantly improved oral health attitude (SMD 9.32; low certainty); the very large effect warrants cautious interpretation.
1 finding from 1 review