SynthesisBMJ open2020
Lasers to prevent dental caries: a systematic review.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 36 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effect of Er:YAG Laser Irradiation on Preventing Enamel Caries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International dental journal · 2024Pooled it
- Comparison of the recurrence rate of different surgical techniques for oral mucocele: A systematic review and Meta-Analysis.Medicina oral, patologia oral y cirugia bucal · 2023Pooled it
- Navigating the Spectrum of Cariology: Laser-Mediated Theranostics in Pediatric and Adult Populations.Cureus · 2026Review
- Microbial Composition of Carious Dentin and the Impact of Minimally Invasive Excavation Techniques: A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- The Effect of Surface Pretreatments on the Bond Strength of Hybrid CAD/CAM with Composite Elevation.Journal of functional biomaterials · 2026Article
- Effect of Combined CO₂ Laser Irradiation and Sodium Fluoride Varnish on Enamel Surface Morphology and Surface Elemental Composition: An In Vitro Split-Tooth Study.F1000Research · 2026Article
- Comparative Analysis of Flexural and Compressive Strengths of Bioactive Alkasite Compared to Other Ion-Releasing Restorative Materials.Biomimetics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Effect of universal adhesive systems on the enamel etching patterns, shear bond strength, adhesive remnant index and failure type of pit and fissure sealants applied to Er: YAG laser etched enamel: an in vitro study.Lasers in medical science · 2025Article
- Microscopic and Crystallographic Analysis of Increased Acid Resistance of Melted Dental Enamel Using 445 nm Diode Laser: An Ex-Vivo Study.Dentistry journal · 2025Article
- Cariogenic Microbiota and Emerging Antibacterial Materials to Combat Dental Caries: A Literature Review.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Effect of minimal intervention on carious lesions in primary teeth. An Umbrella review.Frontiers in dental medicine · 2025Review
- Recent Advances in Caries Prevention-An Update.Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences · 2024Review
- The impact of Er:YAG laser combined with fluoride treatment on the supragingival plaque microbiome in children with multiple caries: a dynamic study.BMC oral health · 2022Article
- Laser Er:YAG-Assisted Debonding May Be a Viable Alternative to the Conventional Method for Monocrystalline Ceramic Brackets.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
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- Article
- Oralbiotica/Oralbiotics: The Impact of Oral Microbiota on Dental Health and Demineralization: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
- Use of the Er:YAG Laser in Conservative Dentistry: Evaluation of the Microbial Population in Carious Lesions.Materials (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Comparative Evaluation between Self-Assembling Peptide P11-4 and ACP CPP in Enamel Remineralization Post Er: YAG Laser Irradiation - A Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopic Study.Contemporary clinical dentistryArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo assess the effectiveness of lasers (at sub-ablative parameters) in reducing caries incidence compared with traditional prophylactic interventions (TPIs) when used alone or together with other TPIs such as pits and fissures sealant or fluoride gels or varnishes.
designA systematic review. Data sources include Medline (via PubMed), Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library (December 2019). ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Only randomised trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) dealing with prophylactic lasers use (vs TPI or untreated teeth) were considered as eligible. We excluded in vitro and ex vivo studies. DATA EXTRACTION: Eligible studies were selected and data extracted independently by two reviewers. Risk of bias was assessed adopting the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Data on caries incidence, sealant retention, fluoride uptake, adverse events, treatment duration, patients' discomfort and cost-effectiveness ratio was extracted. DATA ANALYSIS: Extracted data were presented narratively due to the heterogeneity of included studies.
resultsSeven RCTs and two CCTs, all with an evident risk of bias, met inclusion criteria, pooling together 269 individuals and 1628 teeth. CO
conclusionDespite some positive indications, an inadequate level of evidence was found in the included studies concerning the lasers' effectiveness in preventing caries. Further studies with a higher methodological quality level are required.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.