Cochrane Review Group

Oral Health

430 systematic reviews in Oral Health ask 10,375 questions. 13% have no studies to answer them, 11.8% rest on very low certainty evidence and 3.5% reach moderate or high certainty.

Reviews

430

Questions

10,375

current versions

No studies

13%

Moderate or high

3.5%

No studies 1,344 · 13%Ungraded 6,832 · 65.9%Very low 1,228 · 11.8%Low 613 · 5.9%Moderate 290 · 2.8%High 68 · 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.

Search questions in Oral Health

Topics

Dental caries264 reviews

5,762 questionsNo studies 5.6% · High 0.7%

Oral and maxillofacial surgery43 reviews

866 questionsNo studies 21.7% · High 0.5%

Orthodontics43 reviews

830 questionsNo studies 22.4% · High 0.4%

Oral medicine and oral cancer34 reviews

1,325 questionsNo studies 12.4% · High 0.1%

Periodontology32 reviews

793 questionsNo studies 18.7% · High 1.5%

Endodontics and dental trauma25 reviews

664 questionsNo studies 16.7% · High 0.2%

Implants and prosthodontics23 reviews

581 questionsNo studies 15% · High 0%

Dental public health and special care13 reviews

288 questionsNo studies 25.3% · High 0%

Pain control and patient management11 reviews

342 questionsNo studies 46.2% · High 1.2%

Temporomandibular disorders and sleep11 reviews

271 questionsNo studies 25.8% · High 0%

Other oral health10 reviews

264 questionsNo studies 17% · High 3.4%

Esthetic dentistry6 reviews

141 questionsNo studies 11.3% · High 0%

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

Oral Health

Topics

Thinnest evidence

Reviews 430

Interventions for replacing missing teeth: 1- versus 2-stage implant placement

Interventions for the prevention and treatment of herpes simplex virus in patients being treated for cancer

Resorbable versus titanium plates for facial fractures

Interventions for cleaning dentures in adults

Interventions for central giant cell granuloma (CGCG) of the jaws

Occlusal interventions for periodontitis in adults

Hand and ultrasonic instrumentation for orthograde root canal treatment of permanent teeth

Acyclovir for treating primary herpetic gingivostomatitis

Mouthrinses for the treatment of halitosis

Interventions for the management of submucous cleft palate

Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment

Pulp management for caries in adults: maintaining pulp vitality

Paracetamol for pain relief after surgical removal of lower wisdom teeth

Root canal posts for the restoration of root filled teeth

Psychological interventions to improve adherence to oral hygiene instructions in adults with periodontal diseases

Occlusal splints for treating sleep bruxism (tooth grinding)

Potassium containing toothpastes for dentine hypersensitivity

Guided tissue regeneration for periodontal infra-bony defects

Tongue scraping for treating halitosis

Interventions for replacing missing teeth: denture chewing surface designs in edentulous people

Stabilisation splint therapy for temporomandibular pain dysfunction syndrome

One topical fluoride (toothpastes, or mouthrinses, or gels, or varnishes) versus another for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents

Combinations of topical fluoride (toothpastes, mouthrinses, gels, varnishes) versus single topical fluoride for preventing dental caries in children and adolescents

Ozone therapy for the treatment of dental caries

Direct versus indirect veneer restorations for intrinsic dental stains