Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

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Evidence found and GRADE certainty

67 questions · 78 findings · 22 reviews · Dental caries

No studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 70 · 89.7%Very low 1 · 1.3%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 7 · 9%High 0 · 0%

Fluoride-containing dental care products (mainly fluoride toothpaste; one study also included fluoride varnish) vs Dietary fluoride sources (drinking water, beverages, food)

Contribution of dental care products to total daily fluoride intake (TDFI) · Humans using fluoride-containing dental care products; 28 included studies, mostly young children, only two studies in adults (aged…

Fluoride-containing dental care products (mainly toothpaste) contributed on average 38% (SD 27%) of total daily fluoride intake, regardless of tap-water fluoride level or age (ungraded; descriptive synthesis, no meta-analysis).

1 finding from 1 review

P11-4 + fluoride varnish vs Fluoride varnish

Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic lesions, active caries…

P11-4 plus fluoride varnish was significantly better than fluoride varnish alone (SMD -0.71, 95% CI -1.13 to -0.29); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) plus fluoride varnish vs Atraumatic restorative treatment + fluoride varnish (ART+FV)

Oral health-related quality of life · Children with dental caries

SDF plus fluoride varnish did not significantly differ from ART plus fluoride varnish for oral health-related quality of life (MD 0.16, 95% CI -0.1 to 0.42; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Atraumatic restorative treatment plus fluoride varnish vs Silver diamine fluoride plus fluoride varnish

Oral health-related quality of life · Children with dental caries

The direct estimate found no statistically significant difference in oral health-related quality of life between atraumatic restorative treatment plus fluoride varnish and silver diamine fluoride plus fluoride varnish.

2 findings from 1 review

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF, including SDF + fluoride varnish) vs Other standard-of-care caries treatments pooled (placebo, ART, or ART + fluoride varnish)

Oral health-related quality of life · Children with dental caries

SDF had no significant effect on oral health-related quality of life versus pooled standard-of-care caries treatments (SMD -0.06, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.08; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Placebo varnish, resin sealant, or standard care (oral hygiene instructions)

Prevalence of white spot lesions (WSL) at debonding, subject level · Healthy adolescents and adults undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed multi-bracket appliances

Fluoride varnish applied regularly during fixed orthodontic treatment may reduce the prevalence of white spot lesions at debonding (pooled RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.98), but the certainty of evidence is very low.

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Placebo varnish, resin sealant, or standard care (oral hygiene instructions)

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

38% silver diamine fluoride vs Glass ionomer cement (GIC) plus fluoride varnish

Caries prevention (preventive fraction, SDF vs GIC+5% fluoride varnish) · intellectually disabled individuals with caries in permanent posterior teeth

SDF had a 45% preventative fraction versus glass ionomer cement plus fluoride varnish; no pooled estimate or GRADE rating was reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs CPP-ACP

Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic lesions, active caries…

Fluoride varnish did not differ significantly from CPP-ACP (SMD -0.07, 95% CI -0.44 to 0.29); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs CPP-ACFP

Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic lesions, active caries…

Fluoride varnish did not differ significantly from CPP-ACFP (SMD 0.18, 95% CI -0.29 to 0.64); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Placebo or no active treatment

Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic lesions, active caries…

Fluoride varnish (gold standard) did not differ significantly from control (SMD -0.25, 95% CI -0.51 to 0.02); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Fissure sealant (resin-based or glass ionomer)

Caries incidence of first permanent molars (FPMs) · Generally healthy children aged 6 to 9 years with at least one fully erupted first permanent molar with deep fissures or early enamel…

After excluding the high-risk-of-bias study (Bravo 1996), fluoride varnish and fissure sealant did not differ in caries incidence of FPMs and heterogeneity fell to 0% (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.22; 5 RCTs; ungraded).

3 findings from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Fissure sealant (resin-based or glass ionomer)

Caries incidence (proportion of enrolled children developing dentin caries, ICDAS 4-6) · Generally healthy children aged 6 to 9 years with at least one fully erupted first permanent molar with deep fissures or early enamel…

Fluoride varnish and fissure sealant did not differ significantly in the proportion of children developing caries at 2 to 3 years (RR 1.12, 95% CI 0.60 to 2.09; 2 RCTs; ungraded).

1 finding from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Fissure sealant (resin-based or glass ionomer)

Caries incidence of occlusal surfaces of first permanent molars · Generally healthy children aged 6 to 9 years with at least one fully erupted first permanent molar with deep fissures or early enamel…

After excluding Bravo 1996, occlusal caries incidence slightly favored fluoride varnish but was not significant, with heterogeneity falling to 0% (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.16; 3 RCTs; ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

Fluoride varnish vs Fissure sealant (resin-based or glass ionomer)

Increment of occlusal DMFS (decayed, missing, filled surfaces) of FPMs · Generally healthy children aged 6 to 9 years with at least one fully erupted first permanent molar with deep fissures or early enamel…

Fluoride varnish and fissure sealant did not differ significantly in occlusal DMFS increment of FPMs (MD 0.13, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.34; 3 RCTs; ungraded).

2 findings from 1 review

P11-4 + fluoride varnish vs CPP-ACP

Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic lesions, active caries…

P11-4 plus fluoride varnish was significantly better than CPP-ACP (SMD -0.78, 95% CI -1.33 to -0.24; indirect evidence only); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review

P11-4 + fluoride varnish vs CPP-ACP

Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · People or specimens with white spot lesions or early caries lesions

The NMA estimated an SMD of -0.78 for P11-4 + fluoride varnish versus CPP-ACP (95% CI -1.33 to -0.28).

1 finding from 1 review

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

Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic lesions, active caries…

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).

1 finding from 1 review

P11-4 + fluoride varnish vs CPP-ACFP

Remineralization / reduction in lesion severity (change in QLF, laser fluorescence, or lesion area) · Patients with white spot lesions / early caries lesions (WSLs/ECLs), including orthodontic and non-orthodontic lesions, active caries…

P11-4 plus fluoride varnish did not differ significantly from CPP-ACFP (SMD -0.54, 95% CI -1.15 to 0.08; indirect evidence only); certainty of evidence not assessed (no GRADE).

1 finding from 1 review