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Each row is one question a systematic review asked: who, what, compared with what, and which outcome, with the effect it found and how certain that is. Words match anywhere in the field.
5,762 questions in 263 reviews · Dental caries
current versionsNo studies 321 · 5.6%Ungraded 4,450 · 77.2%Very low 455 · 7.9%Low 297 · 5.2%Moderate 200 · 3.5%High 39 · 0.7%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Vitapex (calcium hydroxide/iodoform) vs RC Fill Radiological failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 2.00 [0.65, 6.15] | 1 study · 86 participants | Ungraded |
Ferric sulphate (FS) vs Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) Radiological failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.88 [0.34, 2.23] | 2 studies · 100 participants | Low |
Fluoride in dentifrice vs No treatment Caries increment in permanent teeth (DMFS change from baseline) · Children or adolescents · At least 1 year or school year, Network meta-regression covariate: randomization year Graphs of study contributions and covariate distributions for network meta-regression. (2018) | no estimate extracted | NR | Ungraded |
Low income vs High income Mean number of decayed teeth (mean DT) · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States · 2003-2009, Overall random-effects meta-analysis Socioeconomic status, oral health and dental disease in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. (2018) | AD 0.44 [0.23, 0.65] | 4 studies · 14960 participants | Ungraded |
Low income vs High income Prevalence of untreated decay (% DT > 0) · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States · 2003-2009, Overall random-effects meta-analysis Socioeconomic status, oral health and dental disease in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. (2018) | AD 12.04 [8.35, 15.73] | 4 studies · 14960 participants | Ungraded |
Populations with low socioeconomic status (>=22.4% of the population with low SES) vs Populations with higher socioeconomic status (<22.4% of the population with low SES) Dental caries experience (DMFT) · Adults aged 19-60 years · Low SES (>=22.4% with low SES) Socioeconomic Factors and Caries in People between 19 and 60 Years of Age: An Update of a Systematic Review… (2018) | MEAN 15.99 [14.35, 17.63] | 4 studies | Ungraded |
Zinc oxide and eugenol (ZOE) vs Zinc oxide and propolis (ZOP) Outcome NR · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | Listed as a pulpectomy comparison; no extractable outcome data reported in this version | 0 studies | No studies |
Conventional restorative treatment with compomer vs Other network treatments Treatment success rate · Primary teeth with dentin caries lesions on occlusal surfaces · Various follow-up times, Occlusal surface without reported lesion depth Scientific evidence for the management of dentin caries lesions in pediatric dentistry: A systematic review… (2018) | RANK 1 | 5 studies | Low |
3Mix (ciprofloxacin + metronidazole + minocycline) vs Simvastatin Clinical failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 1.00 [0.51, 1.95] | 1 study · 160 participants | Very low |
Aloe vera vs Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Clinical failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 6 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 51.00 [3.25, 801.15] | 1 study · 60 participants | Ungraded |
Fluorides combined with CPP-ACP vs Fluorides alone (monotherapy) Visual inspection scores · Patients with early caries lesions in permanent teeth (non-fluoridated water area) · Post-treatment (4-24 weeks) Efficacy of fluorides and CPP-ACP vs fluorides monotherapy on early caries lesions: A systematic review and… (2018) | Not pooled (2 trials, different scoring criteria, standard deviations not reported). Brochner 2011: no significant difference; Andersson 2007: more lesions became invisible with fluorides + CPP-ACP. | 2 studies | Ungraded |
Calcium hydroxide/iodoform (CH/iodoform) vs Full strength formocresol (FC) Radiological failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 9.11 [3.04, 27.31] | 1 study · 67 participants | Ungraded |
Human Development Index (quantitative) vs Not applicable Mean DMFT · Adult participants in 25 meta-regression studies · Model 1 adjusted Socioeconomic Factors and Caries in People between 19 and 60 Years of Age: An Update of a Systematic Review… (2018) | Meta-regression coefficient -42.94101 | 6 studies | Ungraded |
Secondary education vs University education Mean number of decayed teeth (mean DT) · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States · 2007-2009, Canada Socioeconomic status, oral health and dental disease in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. (2018) | AD 0.7 [0.4, 1.1] | 1 study · 3278 participants | Ungraded |
Low-level diode laser vs Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) Overall failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 4.00 [0.49, 32.72] | 1 study · 40 participants | Ungraded |
Self-etch adhesive + acetone-based total-etch adhesive vs Acetone-based total-etch adhesive Clinical failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 6, 12 and 24 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 3.00 [0.13, 69.52] | 1 study · 40 participants | Very low |
Postnatal passive tobacco exposure (secondhand/household smoke in infancy) vs No passive tobacco exposure (non-exposed children) Dental caries in permanent dentition (presence) · Children and adolescents (permanent dentition) · Postnatal exposure; permanent dentition Association between passive tobacco exposure and caries in children and adolescents. A systematic review and… (2018) | OR 1.297 [1.254, 1.342] | 9 studies | Ungraded |
Enamel matrix derivative (EMD) vs Calcium hydroxide (CH) Outcome NR · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 6 and 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | Direct pulp capping; overall failure RR 1.00 (0.06 to 15.50) at 6/12 months (Garrocho-Rangel 2009); no pain/soft tissue/mobility/root resorption | 1 study · 90 participants | Ungraded |
Endoflas chlorophenol free (Endoflas-CF) vs Zinc oxide and eugenol (ZOE) Clinical failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 6 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 3.00 [0.13, 68.26] | 1 study | Ungraded |
Women who experienced preterm birth vs Women who did not experience preterm birth (term) DMFT index (decayed, missing and filled teeth) · Pregnant women Dental caries and preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis. (2018) | MD 1.56 [-0.28, 3.41] | 5 studies · 2963 participants | Ungraded |
Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) Positive LR for detecting advanced proximal caries · Proximal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Tailored to Germany Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Positive LR 9.82 [7.3, 13.3] | 22 studies | Ungraded |
Populations with a lower proportion of university-educated people (<33.78% with university level) vs Populations with a higher proportion of university-educated people (>=33.78% with university level) Dental caries experience (DMFT) · Adults aged 19-60 years · High university (>=33.78%) Socioeconomic Factors and Caries in People between 19 and 60 Years of Age: An Update of a Systematic Review… (2018) | MEAN 10.91 [7.95, 13.87] | 9 studies | Ungraded |
3Mix (ciprofloxacin + metronidazole + minocycline) vs Ciprofloxacin + ornidazole + minocycline Outcome NR · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | Listed as a pulpectomy comparison; no extractable outcome data reported in this version | 0 studies | No studies |
Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) Specificity for detecting advanced proximal caries · Proximal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Tailored to Egypt Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Specificity 95.5 [94, 97] | 22 studies | Ungraded |
Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) vs 3Mixtatin Radiological failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | No radiological failure in any participant; not estimable | 1 study · 160 participants | Ungraded |
Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) Negative LR for detecting all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Conventional meta-analysis (all studies) Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Negative LR 0.19 [0.15, 0.25] | 67 studies | Ungraded |
Glutaraldehyde + calcium hydroxide (CH) vs Full strength formocresol (FC) Radiological failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 3 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 1.10 [0.31, 3.84] | 1 study · 44 participants | Ungraded |
Slow-release fluoride device (fluoride glass beads) vs Placebo or usual care (control) Increase in DMFS at 2 years compared with baseline · Children with high risk of dental decay · 2 years Slow‐release fluoride devices for the control of dental decay (2018) · Cochrane | MD -1.52 [-2.68, -0.36] | 1 study · 63 participants | Very low |
Post-secondary education vs University education Prevalence of untreated decay (% DT > 0) · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States · 2007-2009, Canada Socioeconomic status, oral health and dental disease in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. (2018) | AD 7.8 [3.7, 12.0] | 1 study · 3278 participants | Ungraded |
Placebo vs No treatment Caries increment in permanent teeth · Children or adolescents · At least 1 year or school year, Randomisation year, NMR covariate Graphs of study contributions and covariate distributions for network meta-regression. (2018) | SMD REMOVE_ROW: generic 'SMD by randomisation year' with no intervention-comparator; not a discrete effect; comparison-specific NMR rows already present | NR | Ungraded |
Intervention NR Dental caries in primary dentition (presence) · Postnatal exposure; primary dentition; trim-and-fill adjusted (publication-bias sensitivity) Association between passive tobacco exposure and caries in children and adolescents. A systematic review and… (2018) | OR 1.72 [1.45, 2.05] | 13 studies | Ungraded |
Erbium:YAG laser vs Formocresol (FC) Clinical failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 24 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 2.13 [0.20, 22.70] | 1 study · 97 participants | Ungraded |
Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) Positive LR for detecting all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Conventional meta-analysis (all studies) Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Positive LR 1.74 [1.3, 2.4] | 14 studies | Ungraded |
Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) vs Formocresol (FC) Clinical failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 6 and 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.33 [0.01, 7.58] | 1 study · 30 participants | Ungraded |
Mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) + sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) vs Calcium hydroxide + sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) Radiological failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 0.20 [0.02, 1.61] | 1 study · 62 participants | Ungraded |
Sealapex (eugenol-free calcium hydroxide) vs Zinc oxide and eugenol (ZOE) Radiological failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 6 and 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 5.00 [0.26, 98.00] | 1 study · 40 participants | Ungraded |
Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) Negative LR for detecting all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Conventional meta-analysis (all studies) Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Negative LR 0.79 [0.65, 0.96] | 14 studies | Ungraded |
Primary education vs University education Prevalence of fair/poor self-rated oral health · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States · 2003-2009, Overall random-effects meta-analysis Socioeconomic status, oral health and dental disease in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. (2018) | AD 20.49 [4.95, 36.04] | 4 studies · 14960 participants | Ungraded |
Medium income vs High income Prevalence of untreated decay (% DT > 0) · Adults aged 25 years and older in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States · 2007-2009, Canada Socioeconomic status, oral health and dental disease in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States. (2018) | AD 8.0 [3.0, 12.9] | 1 study · 3278 participants | Ungraded |
Fluoride in gel vs No treatment Caries increment in permanent teeth · Children or adolescents · At least 1 year or school year, Randomisation year, NMR covariate Graphs of study contributions and covariate distributions for network meta-regression. (2018) | no estimate extracted | NR | Ungraded |
Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) PPV for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Tailored to Egypt Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | PPV 30.6 | 55 studies | Ungraded |
Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) Sensitivity for detecting all (initial and advanced) occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Tailored to Egypt Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Sensitivity 85.8 [82, 89] | 51 studies | Ungraded |
Slow-release fluoride device (fluoride glass beads) vs Placebo or usual care (control) Increase in DMFT at 2 years compared with baseline · Children with high risk of dental decay · 2 years Slow‐release fluoride devices for the control of dental decay (2018) · Cochrane | MD -0.72 [-1.23, -0.21] | 1 study · 63 participants | Very low |
Radiographic caries detection (bitewing radiography) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) Sensitivity for detecting advanced proximal caries · Proximal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Tailored to Egypt Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Sensitivity 44.4 [38, 51] | 22 studies | Ungraded |
Visual caries detection vs Reference standard (often histological; also invasive opening) All occlusal carious lesions · Permanent molar surfaces in diagnostic accuracy studies (mostly in vitro; clinical) · Conventional meta-analysis (all studies) Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Specificity 75.3 [70, 80] | 67 studies | Ungraded |
Slow-release fluoride device (fluoride glass beads) vs Placebo or usual care (control) Progression of caries lesion through enamel or into dentine · Children with high risk of dental decay Slow‐release fluoride devices for the control of dental decay (2018) · Cochrane | No evidence found | 0 studies | No studies |
Visual caries detection (ICDAS visual/visual-tactile inspection) vs Reference standard (histological validation or cavity/lesion opening; advanced = cavitated/dentin-involved lesions, all = enamel-confined initial lesions also counted) Positive LR for detecting advanced occlusal caries · Occlusal surfaces of permanent molars (demonstrated in 12-14 year-olds; underlying diagnostic accuracy studies, mostly… · Conventional meta-analysis (all studies) Visual and radiographic caries detection: a tailored meta-analysis for two different settings, Egypt and… (2018) | Positive LR 7.09 [5.6, 8.9] | 94 studies | Ungraded |
OrthoMTA vs RetroMTA Clinical failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 12 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 3.13 [0.13, 74.85] | 1 study · 96 participants | Ungraded |
Fluoride in rinse vs No treatment Caries increment in permanent teeth · Children or adolescents · At least 1 year or school year, Randomisation year, NMR covariate Graphs of study contributions and covariate distributions for network meta-regression. (2018) | no estimate extracted | NR | Ungraded |
Calcium hydroxide (CH) vs Formocresol (FC) Clinical failure · Children with extensive decay involving the dental pulp in primary teeth · 24 months Pulp treatment for extensive decay in primary teeth (2018) · Cochrane | RR 3.83 [1.68, 8.74] | 1 study · 120 participants | Low |