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
Evaluating the DMFT and dmft indices in people with epilepsy: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology12 included studies
6 questions
Examining the diagnostic accuracy of artificial intelligence for detecting dental caries across a range of imaging modalities: An umbrella review with meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textDTA20 included studies
26 questions
Assessing the Efficacy and Immunogenicity of Anticaries Vaccine-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention9 included studies
4 questions
Comparative success of minimally invasive treatments for cavitated caries in primary teeth: a network meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention97 included studies
21 questions
The association of fluoride exposure with bone density and fracture risk: a dose-response meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology74 included studies
34 questions
Efficacy of different cavity liners compared to no cavity lining in managing deep caries in vital permanent teeth - a systematic review.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention12 included studies
8 questions
Association Between Iron Deficiency Anemia and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Umbrella Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology13 included studies
4 questions
The Application of Gamification in Children's Oral Health Management: Systematic Review.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention41 included studies
11 questions
Diagnostic accuracy of quantitative light-induced fluorescence in detecting caries of various types and locations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textDTA28 included studies
23 questions
Sugar consumption and early childhood caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology17 included studies
1 questions
The effectiveness of school-based supervised tooth brushing intervention for preventing dental caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention16 included studies
2 questions
Decision-making regarding dental treatments - What factors matter from patients' perspective? A systematic review.
Non-Cochranefull textqualitative128 included studies
12 questions
Prevalence and risk factors for early childhood caries in North Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology18 included studies
37 questions
Partial pulpotomy for carious pulp exposure in adult mature permanent teeth: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention11 included studies
18 questions
Clinical effectiveness of ion-releasing restorations compared to composite restorations in pediatric dental treatments: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention16 included studies
14 questions
Optimal tooth brushing initiation age and frequency for preventing early childhood caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology29 included studies
4 questions
Topical fluoride as a cause of dental fluorosis in children
Cochranefull textintervention
20 questions
Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries
Cochranefull textintervention
53 questions
Topical silver diamine fluoride (SDF) for preventing and managing dental caries in children and adults
Cochranefull textintervention
76 questions
Gene sequencing applications to combat oral-cavity related disorders: a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprognostic8 included studies
3 questions
The Association Between Vitamin D and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology12 included studies
13 questions
Effect of Er:YAG Laser Irradiation on Preventing Enamel Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention16 included studies
5 questions
Distribution of initial caries lesions in relation to fixed orthodontic therapy. A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology33 included studies
9 questions
Overweight/obesity and dental caries in Brazilian children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology51 included studies
16 questions
Investigation of the presence of Non-carious cervical lesions (NCCLs) in ancient adult skulls: analyzing data from prehistoric and historical samples through a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology8 included studies
2 questions