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.
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 |
Reviews 430
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
Caries in orphan children: prevalence and determinants-a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology23 included studies
5 questions
Comparative Meta-Analysis of Minimally Invasive and Conventional Approaches for Caries Removal in Permanent Dentition.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention11 included studies
2 questions
Characterization of the oral microbiota and the relationship of the oral microbiota with the dental and periodontal status in children and adolescents with nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate. Systematic literature review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology24 included studies
8 questions
Association between prenatal vitamin D deficiency with dental caries in infants and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology16 included studies
16 questions
Clinical Effects of Sugar Substitutes on Cariogenic Bacteria: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention49 included studies
8 questions
Clinical and ex-vivo effect of LASERs on prevention of early-enamel caries: systematic review & meta-analyses.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention8 included studies
6 questions
Association between periodontitis and dental caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology34 included studies
31 questions
Association of Breastfeeding and Early Childhood Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology61 included studies
19 questions
Periodontitis and the risk of oral cancer: a meta-analysis of case-control studies.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology16 included studies
11 questions
Effect of flavonoids from grape seed and cranberry extracts on the microbiological activity of Streptococcus mutans: a systematic review of in vitro studies.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention22 included studies
26 questions
Efficacy of pulpotomy for permanent teeth with carious pulp exposure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention25 included studies
39 questions
Prevalence of dental caries and associated factors among primary school children in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology10 included studies
12 questions
Maternal smoking during pregnancy and early childhood dental caries in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology12 included studies
17 questions
Efficacy of Probiotic Consumption on Oral Outcomes in Children and/or Adolescents: A Meta-Analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention19 included studies
11 questions
Activity and levels of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 in saliva of children and young adults with dental caries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology15 included studies
3 questions
Teledentistry accuracy for caries diagnosis: a systematic review of in-vivo studies using extra-oral photography methods.
Non-Cochranefull textDTA19 included studies
16 questions
A systematic review and meta-analysis on early-childhood-caries global data.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology141 included studies
32 questions
Childhood obesity in relation to risk of dental caries: a cumulative and dose-response systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology24 included studies
21 questions
Genome-wide association meta-analysis identifies two novel loci associated with dental caries.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology1 included studies
8 questions