ArticleSystematic reviews2025
Effectiveness of biofilm-targeted therapy in managing and preventing dental caries: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in Systematic reviews, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis 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
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDental caries is a biofilm-dependent disease that continues to challenge conventional preventive strategies, such as fluoride application and mechanical plaque removal. Biofilm-targeted therapies (BTT), including probiotics, photodynamic therapy, enzymatic treatments, and natural compounds, represent promising alternatives to disrupt pathogenic biofilms effectively. However, the available evidence remains fragmented, with inconsistent methodologies and limited clinical data hindering comprehensive conclusions.
methodsThis systematic review and meta-analysis will synthesize evidence on the effectiveness of BTT in preventing and managing dental caries. A comprehensive search of PubMed (MEDLINE), Embase, and the Cochrane Library will identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies evaluating BTT interventions. To ensure methodological robustness, quantitative synthesis of intervention effectiveness will be restricted to RCTs, while observational studies will contribute to a structured narrative synthesis. Two independent reviewers will conduct study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment using the RoB 2 tool for RCTs and ROBINS-I for observational studies. Where feasible, pairwise meta-analyses will be performed using random-effects models. If sufficient data are available, a network meta-analysis (NMA) will be considered. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will explore the impact of age, caries risk level, and intervention type on treatment outcomes. DISCUSSION: This review anticipates providing evidence on the efficacy of BTT in reducing bacterial load, altering biofilm composition, and preventing caries progression. Variability in study design and outcome measures is expected, underscoring the need for standardized methodologies and more robust clinical trials. The findings aim to deliver evidence-based insights into the clinical applicability of BTT, addressing current knowledge gaps and guiding future research toward more effective caries prevention and management strategies.
trial registrationSystematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42024615568.
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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.