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
RETRACTED: The association between mode of childbirth delivery and early childhood caries: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology33 included studies
19 questions
Spontaneous space closure after extraction of permanent first molars in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprognostic18 included studies
31 questions
Association of vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms with caries risk in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology10 included studies
54 questions
Can Orthodontic Adhesive Systems Inhibit the Formation and Development of White Spot Lesions During Fixed Orthodontic Treatment? A Systematic Review.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention12 included studies
33 questions
Systematic review of oral health in slums and non-slum urban settings of Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs): Disease prevalence, determinants, perception, and practices.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology23 included studies
20 questions
Oral health status of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprognostic29 included studies
4 questions
Remineralization and anti-demineralization effect of orthodontic adhesives on enamel surrounding orthodontic brackets: a systematic review of in vitro studies.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention25 included studies
12 questions
The role of silver diamine fluoride as dental caries preventive and arresting agent: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention20 included studies
16 questions
RETRACTED: Investigating the association between Candida albicans and early childhood dental caries: A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology24 included studies
16 questions
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between sugar intake and dental caries in Nigeria.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology15 included studies
3 questions
Disabilities and Disparities in Oral Health-Related Quality of Life: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis in Saudi Arabia.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology10 included studies
4 questions
A systematic review of Streptococcus Mutans and Veillonellae species interactions in dental caries progression: Positive or Negative impact?
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology7 included studies
16 questions
Antimicrobial effect of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) in arresting dentine caries of permanent teeth: A Systematic review.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention9 included studies
0 questions
Retention procedures for stabilising tooth position after treatment with orthodontic braces
Cochranefull textintervention
33 questions
Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment
Cochranefull textintervention
45 questions
Non‐surgical adjunctive interventions for accelerating tooth movement in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment
Cochranefull textintervention
33 questions
Associations of the activity and concentration of carbonic anhydrase VI with susceptibility to dental caries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology10 included studies
4 questions
A systematic review on the effect of silver diamine fluoride for management of dental caries in permanent teeth.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention13 included studies
37 questions
Malocclusions and quality of life among adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology14 included studies
2 questions
Incidence and influential factors in pulp necrosis and periapical pathosis following indirect restorations: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprognostic68 included studies
57 questions
The efficacy of mouthwashes on oral microorganisms and gingivitis in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention47 included studies
23 questions
Prevention of white spot lesions with fluoride varnish during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances: a systematic review.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention12 included studies
2 questions
Comparison of therapies of white spot lesions: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention81 included studies
22 questions
Clinical efficacy of bioactive restorative materials in controlling secondary caries: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention63 included studies
18 questions
The effect of gum chewing on xerostomia and salivary flow rate in elderly and medically compromised subjects: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention26 included studies
6 questions