Exploring fiberglass post numbers for enhanced fatigue resistance in molars without coronary remnants.

This study aimed to assess the fatigue resistance of molars lacking a coronary remnant, using zero, one, two, or three fiberglass posts. Forty caries/crack-free human molars with coronal portions removed at the pulp chamber floor were randomly allocated into four groups (n=10). Following endodontic treatment, posts (Whitepost DC/DC.E 0.5, 1.0, FGM) were silanized (silane agent, Angelus) and cemented with a resin cement (RelyX U200, 3M ESPE). Resin composite cores (Z350, 3M ESPE) were built, and metal crowns were fabricated and cemented using the same luting system. Samples underwent cyclic fatigue testing at 45°, applying load in the occlusal surface at 10 Hz and 100 N initial load for 10,000 cycles, with 50 N increments every 10,000 cycles until failure. Fatigue failure load and cycles for failure data were recorded and subjected to survival analysis through Kaplan-Meier and Mantel-Cox post hoc tests, and Weibull analysis. Fractography patterns of failed crowns were qualitatively analyzed. The group without posts exhibited the lowest fatigue performance (p < 0.05) for both fatigue failure load and cycles to failure. Superior fatigue performance was observed in the three-post group, followed by groups with one or two posts, corroborated by the Weibull characteristic strength parameter. Weibull moduli were similar among conditions. All specimens exhibited failure involving detachment of the restorative set (posts/core/crown) with a portion of the dental remnant, without tooth fracture. Thus, when restoring mandibular molars without crown remnants, the use of fiberglass posts promotes greater fatigue resistance to oblique loads.

Assessing transparency practices in dental randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate transparency practices in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in dentistry. METHODS: This meta-research study included RCTs in dentistry regardless of topic, methods, or level of detail reported. Only studies in English were considered. We searched PubMed for RCTs in dentistry published in English from December 31, 2016, to December 31, 2021. The screening was performed in duplicate, and data extracted included journal and author details, dental specialty, protocol registration, data and code sharing, conflict of interest declaration, and funding information. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed. We generated maps illustrating the reporting of transparency items by country of the corresponding author and a heat table reflecting reporting levels by dental specialty. RESULTS: A total of 844 RCTs were included. Only 12.86% of studies reported any information about data and code sharing. Protocol registration was reported for 50.36% of RCTs. Conflict of interest (83.41%) and funding (71.68%) declarations were present in most studies. Conflicts of interest and funding were consistently reported regardless of country or specialty, while data and code sharing had a low level of reporting across specialties, as well as low dissemination across the world. Protocol registration exhibited considerable variability. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the importance of RCTs for evidence-based dentistry, it is crucial that everyone who participates in the scientific production and dissemination process actively and consistently promotes adherence to transparent scientific standards, particularly registration of protocols, and sharing of data and code.

Influence of CAD-CAM milling strategies on the outcome of indirect restorations: A scoping review.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: The influence of computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) parameters and settings on the outcomes of milled indirect restorations is poorly understood. PURPOSE: The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the current CAM systems, parameters, and setting changes, and their effects on different outcomes of milled indirect restorations and aspects related to their manufacture. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The protocol of this review is available online (https://osf.io/x28ps/). Studies that used at least 2 different parameters (CAM units, number of axes, digital spacers, or protocols with different rotatory instruments, grit-sizes, milling speed, or others) for milling indirect restorations were included. A structured search up to July 2023 was performed by 2 independent reviewers for articles written in English in LILACS, MEDLINE via PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus. RESULTS: Of 1546 studies identified, 22 were included in the review. Discrepancies were found between the planned and actual measured cement space, with a decreasing linear relationship impacting restoration adaptation at different points. The CEREC MC XL milling machine was the most used system in the included studies, with variations in bur types, milling modes, and number of burs uses affecting internal fit and surface trueness. The results demonstrated the better adaptation of restorations made with 5-axis over 3-axis milling machines. Lithium disilicate and zirconia were the most commonly used materials, and crowns and inlays were popular designs. Marginal and internal adaptation were the primary outcomes assessed using the various techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The study presented a comprehensive exploration of CAM systems and parameters, and their influence on indirect restorations. The planned cement space was not properly reproduced by the milling. Bur characteristics can affect restoration fit and trueness. The 5-axis units seem to result in better-adapted restorations compared with 3- and 4-axis units.

Endorsement of open science practices by dental journals: A meta-research study.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluates the endorsement of open science practices by dental journals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a meta-research study that included journals listed in the 2021 Journal Citation Reports under Dentistry. A comprehensive evaluation was performed by accessing journal websites to ascertain the availability of publicly accessible instructions to authors in Portuguese, English, or Spanish. A researcher extracted information from the "Instructions for Authors" section, encompassing the journal's impact factor, mention of any reporting guidelines, details on data sharing, acceptance of articles in preprint format, and information regarding study protocol registration. Descriptive data analysis was conducted using the Stata 14.0 program, and an Open Science Score (OSS) (ranging from 0 to 100 %) was calculated for each journal by considering five open science practices. Pearson's correlation test was conducted to determine the relationship between the OSS score and journal impact factor. RESULTS: Ninety journals were included in the study. Most journals (70 %) indicated the mandatory use of reporting guidelines, while 60 % recommended data sharing. Conversely, 46.7 % did not provide information on study protocol registration, and 44.4 % stipulated them as mandatory for authors. Regarding preprints, 50 % of the journals did not provide any information, but 46.7 % confirmed their acceptance. The mean OSS was 52.9 % (standard deviation 26.2). There was a weak correlation (Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.221) between the journal impact factor and OSS (P-value=0.036). CONCLUSION: This study found varying degrees of endorsement of open science practices among dental journals. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Dental practitioners rely on high-quality, evidence-based research for informed decision-making. By assessing the endorsement of open science practices, our study contributes to improving the quality and reliability of dental research, ultimately enhancing the evidence base for clinical practice.

Structural Relationships between Asthma and Dental Caries in Children: A Birth Cohort Study in Southern Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: There is an inconclusive causal association between asthma symptoms and dental caries in the primary dentition. This study aimed to investigate, using SEM (structural equation modeling), a possible causal relation between asthma and dental caries in the primary dentition. METHODS: Using data from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study, a sub-sample of 1,303 individuals was selected. Dental caries was clinically evaluated at 5 years old based on decayed, missing, and filled tooth (dmft) index criteria. Asthma-related symptoms (wheezing and shortness of breath) at 1- and 4-year-olds composed a latent variable and were the main exposures to caries occurrence. SEM was used to identify possible direct, indirect, and mediated effects of asthma in primary dentition dental caries. RESULTS: The general prevalence of caries at age 5 was 1.95 (SD: 3.56). When comparing the dmft values for children with asthma symptoms and those without, they presented similar values in both periods where asthma symptoms were evaluated (1- and 4-year-old). SEM analysis showed that asthma was neither directly nor indirectly related to dental caries. CONCLUSION: Asthma, using a latent variable constructed based on asthma symptoms, showed no causal effect on dental caries occurrence in the primary dentition.

Assessment of studies on oral manifestations and COVID-19: a meta-research study

This study aimed to evaluate how different study designs influences the presence and characteristics of diagnosis of oral manifestations in patients with COVID-19. Methods: This study is a meta-search conducted with studies evaluating the relationship between patients with oral manifestations and COVID-19. A search was conducted in three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus), using terms specific to COVID-19 and oral lesions, including only primary studies. Study selection was undertaken by two reviewers independently. A descriptive analysis was performed. Results: The results included 55 studies in the data synthesis analysis. Most of the studies were case reports and case series. Some of the studies did not relate a biological test to confirm COVID-19. The ulcer lesion and that clinical examination by specialists were the most reported lesion in case reports and case series studies, while taste alterations and patient self-report were more reported in observational studies. Conclusions: This review concluded that the oral lesions in patients with COVID-19 differ according to the study design. The lack of high-quality scientific evidence in the dental literature on COVID-19 makes the findings inconsistent by the lack of sample selection criteria, diagnostic criteria and classification of oral lesions

Metaresearch study highlights the gender gap in randomized controlled trials in dentistry.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the gender gap in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in dentistry in terms of authorship, collaborations, metrics, funding and reporting of good research practice and transparecy. METHODS: The search was performed in PubMed for RCTs restricted to English texts in the dental field, indexed from 12/31/2016 to 12/31/2021. Two reviewers screened the studies in line with the eligibility criteria. A total of 844 articles were included. The name and gender of authors, citation metrics, funding, reporting of characteristics of good research practice and transparency were extracted. We considered "collaboration between authors" when the corresponding author was different from the first author. RESULTS: The proportion of women as first authors was 46.56% and 40.12% for corresponding authors. The analysis showed that when a woman is the corresponding author, the probability of the first author also being a woman is 57% higher compared to the first author being a man. For "protocol registration" and "data sharing," the prevalence of reporting was higher when women were first authors. CONCLUSION: A gender gap in dentistry RCTs was identified and related to the participation of women as first and corresponding authors and the collaboration between authors.

Exploring the use of preprints in dentistry.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the use, impact, and dissemination of preprints in dentistry. METHODS: This is a meta-research study with a cross-sectional design. We included preprints published in dentistry, regardless of the year of publication. Searches were performed in the medRxiv.org and Preprints.org platforms and restricted to English. One researcher extracted the data, and another researcher verified data consistency. The following data were extracted: year of publication, country of the corresponding author, number of abstract and full-text views and downloads, Altmetric attention score, whether the preprint was mentioned in other servers such as Twitter and Publons, number of mentions in other servers, number of citations in the Dimensions database, and whether the preprint had already been published in a peer-reviewed journal. If already published, we extracted the journal's impact factor (JCR 2021) and the number of citations in the Dimensions database. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the extracted characteristics and explored relationships between metrics using the Spearman correlation. RESULTS: We identified 276 preprints. Most of the studies were published between 2020 and 2022 (n = 229), especially those from ten countries. The most-cited preprint and published article are the same study. Only the correlation between the number of preprint citations and peer-reviewed article citations in the Dimensions database showed a large positive association (Spearman's rho = 0.5809). CONCLUSION: Preprints gained popularity over the last several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reached a larger audience, especially on platforms such as Twitter. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Preprint publishing allows faster dissemination of science for the benefit of society.

Use of platelet concentrates in oral surgery of patients with osteonecrosis: a scoping review.

The objective of this study was to map, through a scoping review, the evidence available in the literature on the use of platelet concentrates in compromised patients undergoing oral surgeries. Searches were performed in electronic databases for clinical studies with compromised patients undergoing oral surgery who used platelet concentrates. Only studies published in English were included. Two independent researchers carried out the selection of studies. The study design and objective, surgical procedure and platelet concentrate used, systemic involvement, analyzed outcome, and main results were extracted. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed. Twenty-two studies met the eligibility criteria and were included. Case series was the most frequent study design among the included studies (41.0%). In terms of systemic disability, 19 studies reported patients with cancer and related to surgical treatment 16 studies reported patients underwent treatment for osteonecrosis related to the use of the drug. The most used platelet concentrate was pure platelet-rich fibrin (P-PRF). In general, most studies recommend the use of platelet concentrates. Thus, the results of this study suggest that the evidence related to the use of platelet concentrates in compromised patients when undergoing oral surgeries is still initial. Also, most studies assessed the use of platelet concentrates in patients with osteonecrosis.

Endodontic therapy in patients with inherited bleeding disorders: a scoping review.

This systematic scoping review aimed to map available evidence regarding endodontic therapy in patients with inherited bleeding disorders (IBDs). Studies in medicine or dentistry were selected if they reported on endodontic therapy in individuals with IBDs such as hemophilia A, hemophilia B, or von Willebrand disease. Two independent researchers performed searches and screening in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The search initially yielded 676 potentially relevant studies, 14 of which were included in the final analysis. Of these 14 studies, 3 were classified as consensus statements or guidelines, 3 as observational studies, 2 as reviews, 5 as case reports, and 1 as an editorial. Most of the evidence regarding prophylactic treatment (eg, blood transfusion, replacement therapy, or medication administration) prior to endodontic therapy was derived from observational studies. The most frequently reported procedure was endodontic therapy, while 1 case report described a surgical endodontic procedure. Most studies included in the analysis reported that these procedures could be performed under local anesthesia. Two case reports and 1 observational study described complications after endodontic therapy in patients with IBDs. This scoping review revealed a lack of well-designed studies related to the topic of endodontic therapy in patients with IBDs. The available evidence suggests that endodontic therapy in patients with IBDs can be considered a low-risk procedure; local anesthesia should be used in most cases when patients with IBDs are treated, but the use of prophylactic measures is preferred when nerve block anesthesia is required; endodontic therapy can be conducted in a clinical setting without the need for hospital admittance; and, although the number of reported complications is small, the risk should not be ignored.

Use of platelet concentrates in oral surgery of patients with osteonecrosis: a scoping review

Abstract The objective of this study was to map, through a scoping review, the evidence available in the literature on the use of platelet concentrates in compromised patients undergoing oral surgeries. Searches were performed in electronic databases for clinical studies with compromised patients undergoing oral surgery who used platelet concentrates. Only studies published in English were included. Two independent researchers carried out the selection of studies. The study design and objective, surgical procedure and platelet concentrate used, systemic involvement, analyzed outcome, and main results were extracted. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed. Twenty-two studies met the eligibility criteria and were included. Case series was the most frequent study design among the included studies (41.0%). In terms of systemic disability, 19 studies reported patients with cancer and related to surgical treatment 16 studies reported patients underwent treatment for osteonecrosis related to the use of the drug. The most used platelet concentrate was pure platelet-rich fibrin (P-PRF). In general, most studies recommend the use of platelet concentrates. Thus, the results of this study suggest that the evidence related to the use of platelet concentrates in compromised patients when undergoing oral surgeries is still initial. Also, most studies assessed the use of platelet concentrates in patients with osteonecrosis.

Resumo O objetivo do estudo foi mapear, através de uma revisão de escopo, as evidências disponíveis na literatura sobre o uso de agregrantes plaquetários em pacientes comprometidos e que realizaram cirurgias odontológicas. Pesquisas foram realizadas em bases de dados por estudos clínicos com pacientes comprometidos que realizaram cirurgia odontológica e usaram agragantes plaquetários. Apenas estudos em inglês foram incluídos. Dois pesquisadores independentes realizaram a seleção dos estudos. Os seguintes dados foram extraídos: desenho do estudo, objetivo, procedimento cirúrgico, agregante plaquetário usado, envolvimento sistêmico, desfecho analisado e principais resultados. Uma análise descritiva dos dados foi realizada. Vinte e dois estudos preencheram os critérios de elegibilidade e foram incluídos. Série de casos foi o desenho de estudo mais frequente entre os estudos incluídos (41,0%). Em relação ao comprometimento sistêmico, 19 estudos reportaram pacientes com câncer e em relação ao tratamento cirúrgico, 16 estudos reportaram pacientes que realizavam tratamento para osteonecrose relacionada ao uso de medicamentos. O agregante mais utilizado foi o plasma rico em fribina (P-PRF). Em geral, maioria dos estudos recomendou o uso dos agregantes plaquetários. Assim, os resultados desse estudo sugerem que a evidência relacionada ao uso de agregantes plaquetários em pacientes comprometidos que realizam cirurgia odontológica é ainda inicial. Ainda, a maioria dos estudos avaliaram o uso de agregantes plaquetários em pacientes com osteonecrose.

Reporting quality of scoping reviews in dental public health.

BACKGROUND: The study aimed to explore reporting characteristics of scoping reviews in dental public health and the impact of some factors on the reporting quality. METHODS: This study searched for dental public health scoping reviews in PubMed and Scopus without year restrictions and restricted to English-language publications. Study selection was undertaken by two reviewers independently. One reviewer, after training, extracted data from included studies considering general study characteristics and reporting characteristics. The impact of PRISMA-ScR publication, journal endorsement, and use of study protocol on the reporting was explored. RESULTS: Eighty-one scoping reviews were included. Five items presented rates of appropriate reporting higher than 80% considering the overall percentage. Related to the impact of PRISMA-ScR publication, six items were found more often in scoping reviews published after the publication of PRISMA-ScR than in scoping reviews published before the publication of PRISMA-ScR. With regards to journals endorsement, only two reporting characteristics were found more often in scoping reviews published in journals that endorse the PRISMA-ScR statement than in scoping reviews published in non-endorsers journals. Last, regarding the use of the pre-specified protocol, five reporting characteristics presented differences in studies reporting the use of pre-specified protocol than in studies that did not mention the use of a protocol. All differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Important information is missing in the included scoping reviews demonstrating crucial reporting problems.

Should finishing, polishing or glazing be performed after grinding YSZ ceramics? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The present systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the characteristics and consequences of post-processing methods after grinding procedures in YSZ ceramics on its surface roughness and flexural strength. The protocol of this review was made prospectively and is available online in the PROSPERO database (link). Literature searches on PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Lilacs, Web of Science and Scopus were conducted on December 2022 to select in vitro studies written in English, without publishing-date restrictions, that considered surface characteristics and mechanical properties of YSZ ceramics submitted to grinding and subsequent post-processing surface treatments as an attempt to revert the effect induced by grinding. Two authors independently selected the studies, extracted the data and assessed the risk of bias. Mean differences (Rev-Man 5.1, random effects model, α= 0.05) were obtained by comparing flexural strength and surface roughness values of ground surfaces with at least one post-processing surface treatment (global analysis). Subgroup analyses were performed considering the most prevalent categories of post-processing methods. A total of 33 (out of 4032) studies were eligible and included in the analysis. In the global analysis, ground surfaces showed higher flexural strength than when post-processing methodologies were employed (p< 0.0001). The subgroup analysis showed that only polishing was able to enhance the flexural strength after grinding (p= 0.001); however, when other protocols were used, the ground surface was always superior in terms of flexural strength (p< 0.0001). Post-processing techniques in both the global and sub-group analyses were able to reduce the surface roughness after grinding in YSZ ceramics (p< 0.00001). High heterogeneity was found in all the meta-analyses. Concerning the risk of bias analysis, the included studies had mixed scores for the considered factors. In conclusion, in terms of improving flexural strength and restoring surface roughness after grinding, polishing protocols can be considered the best indication as post-processing treatment after YSZ ceramics adjustments/grinding.

Teaching of composite restoration repair in Brazilian dental schools.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate aspects of the teaching of restoration repair as a minimally invasive alternative to replacing defective direct composite restorations in undergraduate curricula teaching programs in Brazilian dental schools. METHODS: A 14-item validated survey questionnaire was mailed to directors/coordinators of operative/restorative dentistry teachers of Brazilian Dental Schools. Data were collected on demographic characteristics of the teachers and institutions, together with questions on the teaching of the repair of defective resin-based composite restorations as part of the school curriculum; the rationale behind the teaching; the nature of the teaching (preclinical and/or clinical); how techniques were taught, indications for repair, operative techniques, materials used, patient acceptability and expected longevity of completed repairs. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-two (94%) directors/ coordinators of dental curricula in Brazil were contacted. One hundred and thirty-one directors/coordinators (59%) replied, providing the e-mail address from the teacher responsible for the operative/restorative dentistry program in their school. Of these, 104 responded to the questionnaire (79% response rate). Ninety-three (89%) of the participating schools reported teaching composite repairs as an alternative to replacing restorations. Of the theoretical content, 43% was taught at preclinical and clinical levels, whereas most practical experience (53%) was acquired at clinical levels. Eighty-eight schools (95%) reported tooth substance preservation being the main reason for teaching repair techniques. All schools that taught repairs reported high patient acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: The teaching of composite restoration repair as an alternative to restoration replacement is established in undergraduate programs in most of the Brazilian dental schools surveyed. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The reasons for teaching restoration repair in Brazil were found to be quite unanimous among teachers, especially regarding the preservation of tooth structure. Variations were found in the clinical indications for repair, suggesting the need for further investigations. Monitoring repaired restorations should be encouraged and could contribute to future studies.

Reporting characteristics of systematic review abstracts published in the proceedings of the SBPqO meeting

Aim: This study aimed to assess the reporting characteristics of systematic review abstracts published in the proceedings of the Sociedade Brasileira de Pesquisa Odontológica (SBPqO) meeting. Methods: We selected abstracts published in the SBPqO meeting proceedings of 2019 and 2020, mentioning that a systematic review was conducted in the title, objective or methods sections. One researcher performed the screening and the data extraction after a pilot test training. The following data were extracted: affiliation of the primary author, dental specialization, the term "systematic review" mentioned in the title, reporting of the objective, reporting of eligibility criteria, reporting of information sources, reporting of the number of included studies and if a meta-analysis was performed. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed with data summarized as frequencies. Results: We included 235 abstracts. A total of 20 studies were from the Universidade de Uberlândia (8.5%), and the main specialization was Restorative and Esthetic Dentistry, with 47 studies (20%). Most of the studies mentioned the term "systematic review" in the title (n=219; 93.2%) and reported the objective (n=231; 98.3%). A great majority of studies did not report the eligibility criteria (n=97; 41.3%) or it was classified as unclear (n=96; 40.8%). The great majority of studies only reported the databases searched (n=103; 43.8%) or databases and date of search (n=74; 31.5%). Most of the studies reported the number of included studies (n=204; 86.8%). Conclusion: Based on this study, the reporting characteristics of systematic review abstracts published in the proceedings of the SBPqO meeting are satisfactory. However, there is room for improvement

Influence of connector cross-sectional geometry on the load-bearing capacity under fatigue of implant-supported zirconia fixed partial prosthesis.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Zirconia has been reported to be suitable for multiunit monolithic restorations. However, as the connector region is the weakest part of the system, studies are needed to determine the optimal connector geometry. PURPOSE: The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the load-bearing capacity under fatigue of implant-supported fixed partial prostheses made of monolithic zirconia with different connector cross-sectional geometries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Three-unit monolithic fixed partial prostheses (from mandibular second premolar to the second molar) were fabricated in zirconia (Zenostar T) by computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacture (CAD-CAM). Different connector cross-sectional geometries, with an area of 9 mm2, were tested (n=10): round, square with rounded angles, or trapezoid with rounded angles. The prostheses were screwed over 2 implants and inserted into acrylic resin bases. The specimens were submitted to a mechanical fatigue test until failure, with load applied to the pontic using the stepwise stress methodology (initial load of 100 N for 5000 cycles, followed by an increase to 200 N for 20 000 cycles, with a subsequent increase of 50 N each step). For data analysis, fatigue failure load (FFL) and cycles for fatigue failure (CFF) were recorded. Failed structures were analyzed by fractography. The Kaplan-Meier test followed by a log-rank Mantel-Cox post hoc test was used to analyze FFL and CFF (α=.05). Weibull analysis was also performed. RESULTS: The round (1065 N) and trapezoid (1010 N) groups presented higher FFL values than the square one (870 N) (P≤.05). For CFF, the round connector (358 777) was better than the square (280 310) (P=.006), and the trapezoid (337 773) was statistically similar to both (P>.05). No difference among groups was observed in Weibull modulus either for CFF or FFL data. All failures were catastrophic, originating at the base of the connector and propagating toward the occlusal surface of the pontic (region under loading). CONCLUSIONS: The connector cross-sectional geometry significantly influenced the mechanical fatigue performance of implant-supported fixed partial prostheses made of monolithic zirconia.

Factors influencing the clinical performance of the restoration of endodontically treated teeth: An assessment of systematic reviews of clinical studies.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: How best to restore endodontically treated teeth is still unclear because many types of material and techniques are involved. PURPOSE: The purpose of this overview of systematic reviews of clinical studies was to assess the available evidence-based literature on the influence of associated clinical factors on the clinical performance (survival, failure rate, or success) of restored endodontically treated teeth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from inception until September 27, 2021, to identify systematic reviews. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts, and full-text articles, and each reviewer extracted the data of half of the included studies. A single reviewer with an independent verifier completed the quality appraisal. A descriptive analysis of the collected data was made. RESULTS: A total of 36 systematic reviews fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The factors most assessed were the type of coronal restorative technique (n=22) and type of post (n=22). The results indicated that metal and fiber posts seem to present similar clinical performance, endocrowns could be a suitable restorative option, there is no evidence to confirm whether single crowns are better or worse than direct restoration, the maintenance of the coronal structure is a fundamental factor, and the ferrule effect is still a controversial topic. Most of the studies (n=30, 81%) presented a final Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) rating of "critically low." CONCLUSIONS: The post type does not appear to influence the clinical performance of restored endodontically treated teeth. However, conclusive evidence to suggest how different materials or techniques for restoring coronal tooth structure affect the clinical performance of such restorations, as well as the impact of the ferrule effect, is still lacking.

There is room for improvement in the use of scoping reviews in dentistry.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the reporting of authors' justifications for choosing the scoping review methodology in oral health. STUDY SELECTION, DATA AND SOURCE: This is a meta-research study about scoping reviews in dentistry. This study searched for reviews in PubMed and Scopus without year restrictions and restricted to English-language publications. Study selection was undertaken by two reviewers independently. Each of these reviewers extracted data from half of the included studies considering general study characteristics and scoping reviews objectives, as well as data about whether or not the authors clearly explained why they chose the scoping review framework. RESULTS: We included 184 articles. Ninety-seven of the reports did not provide a rationale as to why they chose the scoping review method (52.7%). Regarding the reported aims of the studies, 29.9% (n = 29/87) of the scoping reviews presented more than one. When comparing studies reporting the use of the PRISMA-ScR to those not reporting the PRISMA-ScR, there is no difference in the reporting of a clear explanation of why the authors used a scoping review method. CONCLUSION: There is room for improvement in how authors report their justifications for choosing the scoping review method. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Scoping reviews may be used by researchers who are unaware of this method. Educational initiatives should thus be encouraged.