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
Correlation between vitamin D levels in serum and the risk of dental caries in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology13 included studies
8 questions
Multivariable prediction models of caries increment: a systematic review and critical appraisal.
Non-Cochranefull textprognostic22 included studies
203 questions
Is there an association between periodontal disease and root caries? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology4 included studies
1 questions
Presence of host and bacterial-derived collagenolytic proteases in carious dentin: a systematic review of ex vivo studies.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology18 included studies
38 questions
The bi-directional relationship between growth stunting and early childhood caries: a rapid review.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology9 included studies
13 questions
Sealants for preventing dental caries in primary teeth
Cochranefull textintervention
28 questions
Enamel Caries Detection and Diagnosis: An Analysis of Systematic Reviews.
Non-Cochranefull textDTA
42 questions
Minimal intervention dentistry for managing carious lesions into dentine in primary teeth: an umbrella review.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention35 included studies
27 questions
The effectiveness of behaviour change interventions delivered by non-dental health workers in promoting children's oral health: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention59 included studies
6 questions
Efficacy of nano-hydroxyapatite on caries prevention-a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention10 included studies
6 questions
Silver diamine fluoride and oral health-related quality of life: A review and network meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention10 included studies
13 questions
Bonding of Glass-Ionomer Cement and Adhesives to Silver Diamine Fluoride-treated Dentin: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention34 included studies
10 questions
Caries in children with and without orofacial clefting: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology32 included studies
13 questions
Zirconia Crowns for Primary Teeth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention61 included studies
4 questions
Uses of Different Machine Learning Algorithms for Diagnosis of Dental Caries.
Non-Cochranefull textDTA17 included studies
21 questions
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Role of Sugar-Free Chewing Gum on Plaque Quantity in the Oral Cavity.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention8 included studies
4 questions
Association of Food and Nonalcoholic Beverage Marketing With Children and Adolescents' Eating Behaviors and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology92 included studies
21 questions
Maternal and infant risk factors and risk indicators associated with early childhood caries in South Africa: a systematic review.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology29 included studies
4 questions
Individual, Family, and Socioeconomic Contributors to Dental Caries in Children from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology11 included studies
22 questions
Fluoride Intake Through Dental Care Products: A Systematic Review.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology28 included studies
21 questions
Effectiveness of primary school-based interventions in improving oral health of children in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention54 included studies
21 questions
Complementary Feeding Caregivers' Practices and Growth, Risk of Overweight/Obesity, and Other Non-Communicable Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention24 included studies
20 questions
Clinical effectiveness of restorative materials for the restoration of carious primary teeth without pulp therapy: a systematic review.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention53 included studies
46 questions
Changes in the Color and Brightness of White Spots Associated with Orthodontic Treatment 6 Months after the Application of Infiltrative Resins: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention4 included studies
9 questions
Meta-analysis of caries microbiome studies can improve upon disease prediction outcomes.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology16 included studies
10 questions