Topic in Oral Health
Dental caries
Prevention, detection, risk, and management of dental caries (decay), including fluorides, sealants, and restorations.
264 systematic reviews in Dental caries ask 5,762 questions. 5.6% have no studies to answer them, 7.9% rest on very low certainty evidence and 4.2% reach moderate or high certainty.
Reviews
264
Questions
5,762
current versions
No studies
5.6%
Moderate or high
4.2%
No 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.
Thinnest evidence
All no studies and very low questions| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Partial pulpotomy vs Full (complete) pulpotomy Patient- and clinical-reported outcomes (tooth survival, clinical/radiographic success, pain) · Asymptomatic permanent teeth with deep caries (no symptoms) The effectiveness of partial pulpotomy compared with full pulpotomy in managing deep caries in vital… (2025) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Calcium vs Control Immediate (24 h) resin-dentin bond strength (MPa) · permanent human teeth with artificial caries-affected dentin · 24 h, Etch-and-Rinse; chemical ACAD Biomimetic Remineralization Strategies for Dentin Bond Stability-Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD -0.508 [-8.207, 7.191] | 3 studies | Very low |
Children with dental caries vs Children without dental caries (caries-free) Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) · Children and adolescents (0-18 years; most included reviews focused on <6 years) Association Between Iron Deficiency Anemia and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Umbrella Meta-Analysis. (2025) | MD -1.96 [-4.02, 0.10] | 3 studies | Very low |
HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals Dental caries (presence/absence) · Children and adolescents under 18 years with HIV · Not specified (cross-sectional), Cross-sectional studies Association between antiretroviral therapy and dental caries in children and adolescents with HIV: a… (2025) | OR 2.04 [1.21, 3.42] | 6 studies · 2206 participants | Very low |
HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals Dental caries severity (dmft index, primary dentition) · Children and adolescents under 18 years with HIV · Not specified (cross-sectional), Cross-sectional studies; dmft index Association between antiretroviral therapy and dental caries in children and adolescents with HIV: a… (2025) | MD 0.92 [-0.09, 1.93] | 5 studies · 1502 participants | Very low |
Cavity liner (calcium hydroxide, glass-ionomer cement, resin-modified calcium silicate/TheraCal LC, hydraulic calcium silicate/MTA or Biodentine, flowable composite, or other liner material) vs No cavity liner or a different liner material Treatment failure · Patients with deep caries lesions in mature or immature permanent (posterior) teeth, with no symptoms or reversible… · >=12 months Efficacy of different cavity liners compared to no cavity lining in managing deep caries in vital permanent… (2025) | No significant difference; 96.5% of treated teeth remained vital | 12 studies · 1184 participants | Very low |
Cavity liner (calcium hydroxide, glass-ionomer cement, resin-modified calcium silicate/TheraCal LC, hydraulic calcium silicate/MTA or Biodentine, flowable composite, or other liner material) vs No cavity liner or a different liner material Postoperative hypersensitivity · Patients with deep caries lesions in mature or immature permanent (posterior) teeth, with no symptoms or reversible… · 7 days to 3 months Efficacy of different cavity liners compared to no cavity lining in managing deep caries in vital permanent… (2025) | No significant difference; minimal pain reported | 9 studies · 1000 participants | Very low |
Secondary (passive/secondhand) smoking exposure during childhood vs No secondary smoking exposure Caries prevalence (early childhood caries) · Preschool children aged <=71 months (caries outcome assessed at 3-6 years) · Caries prevalence at 3-6 years, Overall Secondary Smoking and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. (2025) | OR 1.77 [1.57, 2.01] | 11 studies · 14,794 participants | Very low |
Cavity liner (calcium hydroxide, glass-ionomer cement, resin-modified calcium silicate/TheraCal LC, hydraulic calcium silicate/MTA or Biodentine, flowable composite, or other liner material) vs No cavity liner or a different liner material Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) · Patients with deep caries lesions in mature or immature permanent (posterior) teeth, with no symptoms or reversible… · >=6 months Efficacy of different cavity liners compared to no cavity lining in managing deep caries in vital permanent… (2025) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) vs reference standard detection of proximal caries · primary teeth with proximal caries · primary dentition Diagnostic accuracy of quantitative light-induced fluorescence in detecting caries of various types and… (2025) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy (ART/HAART) vs HIV-negative individuals Dental caries severity (DMFT index, permanent dentition) · Children and adolescents under 18 years with HIV · Not specified (cross-sectional), Cross-sectional studies; DMFT index Association between antiretroviral therapy and dental caries in children and adolescents with HIV: a… (2025) | MD 0.60 [-0.53, 1.72] | 4 studies · 1390 participants | Very low |
Intervention NR Tooth survival · - The effectiveness of partial pulpotomy compared with full pulpotomy in managing deep caries in vital… (2025) | no estimate extracted | 0 studies | No studies |
Reviews 264
Does the Decline in Caries Prevalence of Latin American and Caribbean Children Continue in the New Century? Evidence from Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprevalence96 included studies
6 questions
Fluoride gels for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents
Cochranefull textintervention
17 questions
Fluoridated milk for preventing dental caries
Cochranefull textintervention
6 questions
Preformed crowns for decayed primary molar teeth
Cochranefull textintervention
21 questions
Chlorhexidine treatment for the prevention of dental caries in children and adolescents
Cochranefull textintervention
14 questions
Single crowns versus conventional fillings for the restoration of root‐filled teeth
Cochranefull textintervention
7 questions
Micro‐invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth
Cochranefull textintervention
15 questions
Xylitol‐containing products for preventing dental caries in children and adults
Cochranefull textintervention
17 questions
Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries
Cochranefull textintervention
14 questions
Association between Dental Caries and Down Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology15 included studies
2 questions
Breast and Bottle Feeding as Risk Factors for Dental Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology11 included studies
2 questions
Replacement versus repair of defective restorations in adults: amalgam
Cochranefull textintervention
7 questions
Replacement versus repair of defective restorations in adults: resin composite
Cochranefull textintervention
7 questions
Vitamin D and multiple health outcomes: umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies and randomised trials.
Non-Cochranefull textumbrella55 included studies
110 questions
Fluoride varnishes for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents
Cochranefull textintervention
7 questions
Operative caries management in adults and children
Cochranefull textintervention
10 questions
Interventions for the restorative care of amelogenesis imperfecta in children and adolescents
Cochranefull textintervention
2 questions
Antibacterial agents in composite restorations for the prevention of dental caries
Cochranefull textintervention
6 questions
Primary school‐based behavioural interventions for preventing caries
Cochranefull textintervention
9 questions
Interdental brushing for the prevention and control of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults
Cochranefull textintervention
16 questions
Fluorescence-based methods for detecting caries lesions: systematic review, meta-analysis and sources of heterogeneity.
Non-Cochranefull textDTA75 included studies
62 questions
Validity of sealant retention as surrogate for caries prevention--a systematic review.
Non-Cochranefull textother
10 questions
The modified Ottawa method to establish the update need of a systematic review: glass-ionomer versus resin sealants for caries prevention.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention4 included studies
6 questions
Reducing Alaska Native paediatric oral health disparities: a systematic review of oral health interventions and a case study on multilevel strategies to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage intake.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention11 included studies
34 questions
Survival of atraumatic restorative treatment (ART) sealants and restorations: a meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention29 included studies
53 questions