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
Dental caries and associated factors in Ethiopia: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textprevalence22 included studies
9 questions
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the role of sugar-free chewing gum on Streptococcus mutans.
Non-Cochranefull textintervention14 included studies
3 questions
Association Between the TaqI (rs731236 T>C) Gene Polymorphism and Dental Caries Risk: A Meta-analysis.
Non-Cochranefull textaetiology11 included studies
30 questions
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
Interventions for treating oral lichen planus: corticosteroid therapies
Cochranefull textintervention
58 questions
Pit and fissure sealants versus fluoride varnishes for preventing dental decay in the permanent teeth of children and adolescents
Cochranefull textintervention
17 questions
Surgical removal versus retention for the management of asymptomatic disease‐free impacted wisdom teeth
Cochranefull textintervention
13 questions
Surgical techniques for the removal of mandibular wisdom teeth
Cochranefull textintervention
68 questions
Recall intervals for oral health in primary care patients
Cochranefull textintervention
44 questions
Oral hygiene care for critically ill patients to prevent ventilator‐associated pneumonia
Cochranefull textintervention
56 questions