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
Oral manifestations of patients with systemic sclerosis: a meta-analysis for case-controlled studies.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology12 included studies
13 questions
Is the mode of childbirth delivery linked to the prevalence of early childhood caries? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology12 included studies
1 questions
Prevalence of Dental Caries and Associated Factors in East Africa, 2000-2020: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprevalence88 included studies
27 questions
Lower Number of Teeth Is Related to Higher Risks for ACVD and Death-Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses of Survival Data.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology140 included studies
29 questions
Efficacy of resin infiltration to mask post-orthodontic or non-post-orthodontic white spot lesions or fluorosis - a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention11 included studies
11 questions
Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic methods for occlusal surface caries.
Non-Cochranefull textDTA73 included studies
85 questions
Efficacy of sealants and bonding materials during fixed orthodontic treatment to prevent enamel demineralization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention24 included studies
19 questions
External control of fluoridation in the public water supplies of Brazilian cities as a strategy against caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprevalence20 included studies
15 questions
Systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic studies of proximal surface caries.
Non-Cochranefull textDTA36 included studies
93 questions
Prevalence of dental caries in Pakistan: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprevalence40 included studies
11 questions
Iron deficiency and early childhood caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology11 included studies
6 questions
Oral Health Status in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology16 included studies
4 questions
Impact of Aligners and Fixed Appliances on Oral Health during Orthodontic Treatment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention21 included studies
20 questions
Correlation Between Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy and Dental Caries in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology11 included studies
21 questions
Oral Health of Children and Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Systematic Review of the Past Decade.
Non-Cochranefull textprevalence42 included studies
114 questions
Meta-Analysis Using NGS Data: The Veillonella Species in Dental Caries.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology38 included studies
4 questions
Pit and fissure sealants versus fluoride varnishes for preventing dental decay in the permanent teeth of children and adolescents
Cochranefull textintervention
17 questions
Tests to detect and inform the diagnosis of root caries
Cochranefull textDTA
10 questions
Fluorescence devices for the detection of dental caries
Cochranefull textDTA
28 questions
Vegetarian diet and its possible influence on dental health: A systematic literature review.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology19 included studies
9 questions
Dental caries and periodontal disease among people who use drugs: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology10 included studies
2 questions
Is Bleaching Effective in Managing Post-orthodontic White-spot Lesions? A Systematic Review.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention15 included studies
9 questions
Comparison between Fissure Sealant and Fluoride Varnish on Caries Prevention for First Permanent Molars: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention7 included studies
8 questions
Success rate of proximal tooth-coloured direct restorations in primary teeth at 24 months: a meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention17 included studies
105 questions
Association of LTF, ENAM, and AMELX polymorphisms with dental caries susceptibility: a meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology16 included studies
252 questions