Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Caries in primary teeth: dmft (3 years) · Institutionalized orphan children (roughly 3 to 18 years)
Primary-teeth caries experience (dmf) was higher in institutionalized children than parented children but not significantly so (pooled MD 0.64; very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
White spot lesion incidence · High caries-risk patients: fixed-orthodontic-appliance patients and children with partially erupted permanent molars
Low-power CO2 laser (LLLT) is associated with a lower incidence of new white spot lesions than placebo (OR 0.21, CI 0.15 to 0.30; ungraded, 3 RCTs, considerable heterogeneity I2=71%).
1 finding from 1 review
Enamel acid resistance (cross-sectional microhardness) · Human enamel in pits and fissures (in situ / ex vivo)
Nd:YAG laser increased enamel acid resistance versus untreated enamel in pits and fissures (ungraded, 1 ex-vivo study, no pooled estimate).
1 finding from 1 review
Dental pain or sensitivity · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
The review found no eligible studies for this question.
1 finding from 1 review
Aesthetics · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review
1 study reported that 45% of parents were satisfied with appearance of their child's teeth; data not reported by study group. 1 study reported that 1 of 34 caregivers in SDF group were "annoyed with teeth appearance",…
2 studies · 248 participants
Very low
Adverse effects · Children and adults (with or without carious lesions)
1 finding from 1 review
1 study (203 children) reported that black or brown staining on treated lesions was commonly found in both groups, with little or no difference according to whether SDF treatment was given in 3 applications at…
3 studies · 1121 participants
Very low
Calcium ions released in acidic solution · Human tooth enamel specimens, sound/intact (in vitro)
Er:YAG laser irradiation did not significantly change calcium ions released into acidic solution versus untreated control (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.96 to 0.15; 6 in vitro studies, I2=80%; ungraded).
1 finding from 1 review
Model development with reported performance measures (per CHARMS) · Individuals of any age at risk of caries increment
No original CAMBRA or CAT model-development studies reporting performance measures according to CHARMS were found (evidence gap); these tools appeared only as validated models within other studies.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
0 studies
No studies found
MMP-2 activity · Human root and coronal carious dentin
No difference in MMP-2 activity was found in root versus coronal carious dentin (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
MMP-8 location/depth · Human ex vivo carious dentin
MMP-8 showed no statistical difference by lesion location; the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
MMP-9 location/depth · Human carious dentin
Opposite effect directions were reported for MMP-9 by lesion depth or location (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
3 studies
Very low
Bacterial collagenolytic enzymatic activity · Human ex vivo carious lesions / caries-associated biofilm
Bacterial collagenolytic enzymatic activity in caries biofilm is inconclusive across two small studies (ungraded; GRADE not feasible).
1 finding from 1 review
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
MMP-2 location/depth · Human ex vivo carious dentin
No clear direction of MMP-2 presence by lesion depth/location was found; the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
MMP-20 location/depth (outer vs inner) · Human ex vivo carious dentin
MMP-20 probably decreases in outer compared with inner carious dentin (moderate certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Collagen-degrading bacteria · Root caries lesion biofilm
Protein-degrading bacteria capable of degrading collagen were detected in root caries biofilm.
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
1 study
GRADE not reported
MMP-13 activity · Human root and coronal carious dentin
MMP-13 may be increased in root compared with coronal carious dentin (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
no estimate extracted
1 study · 7 participants
Very low
White spot lesion clinical score (mean values), subject level · Healthy adolescents and adults undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed multi-bracket appliances
In a pooled analysis of two placebo-controlled trials, fluoride varnish also reduced white spot lesion clinical scores (pooled SMD -0.44, 95% CI -0.64 to -0.24); this secondary outcome was not separately GRADE-rated.
1 finding from 1 review
MMP-9 location/depth · Human ex vivo carious dentin
No clear direction of MMP-9 expression by lesion depth/location was found; the evidence is very uncertain (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Development of any (cavitated or non-cavitated) carious lesion · Children younger than 6 years with caries-free primary dentition (no cavitated or non-cavitated lesions at baseline)
Across the sample-based sensitivity analysis, mutans streptococci at baseline were associated with higher odds of developing caries.
1 finding from 1 review