Objectives To assess the occurrence of coronal and root caries in adults with diabetes mellitus (DM).Materials and methods This study was performed accordingly to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. A search strategy was adapted for six databases, as well as gray literature. The risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools for observational studies. Revman 5.3 was used to conduct five metaanalyses. The quality of evidence of meta-analysis was evaluated by GRADE. Results From 4047 titles retrieved, 29 studies were included in qualitative synthesis and 20 in quantitative synthesis. Findings showed a higher mean of DMFT in DM individuals compared with healthy controls (mean difference = 1.71; 95% CI 1.08-2.33; p < 0.01; I 2 = 55%). Individuals with type 2 DM were three times more likely to have root caries in comparison with non-DM individuals (OR = 3.17; 95% CI 1.19-8.49; p = 0.02; I 2 = 70%). Individuals with uncontrolled glycemic levels within the population with DM had higher prevalence of caries than individuals with controlled DM (OR = 3.82; 95% CI 1.12-13.07; p < 0.01; I 2 = 89%; DMFT index mean difference = 2.61; 95% CI 1.14-4.08; p < 0.01; I 2 = 75%). Conclusions Diabetes mellitus may increase the occurrence of coronal and root caries in adults. Poor glycemic control turned diabetic individuals more likely to have caries. Clinical relevance Dental caries can be an oral sign to indicate poor glycemic control in individuals with DM. Strategies to prevent root caries should be adopted in individuals with type 2 DM. Besides, dental and medical treatments should synergistically explore whether dietary habits are healthy for controlling both, DM and caries.

Objectives: In light of recent technological advances in Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and the accumulation of large, publicly available oral microbiome datasets, the need for meta-analysing data on caries microbiome is becoming feasible and essential. A consensus on the identification of enriched organisms in cariogenic dysbiotic biofilms would be reached. For example, members of the Veillonella genus have been detected in caries biofilms, and may have an underestimated contribution to the dysbiotic process. Hence, we aimed to determine the abundance of Veillonella species in dental caries in studies using NGS data.Materials and Methods: Analysis was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (registered at PROSPERO: CRD42020204150). Studies investigating microbial composition in saliva, dental biofilm, or carious dentin were included. Six databases and grey literature were searched. Two independent reviewers selected the papers and assessed the methodological quality.Results: Searches retrieved 1,323 titles, from which 38 studies were included in a qualitative synthesis, comprising a total of 1,374 caries and 745 caries-free individuals. Most studies analysed 16S rRNA amplicons, and only 5 studies used shotgun metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. A geographical bias was observed. The methodological quality was downrated in 81.5% of the studies due to the lack of criteria for defining cases and standard criteria used for measurement of the condition in a reliable way. Six studies on early childhood caries (ECC) were meta-analysed, confirming a significant enrichment of Veillonella spp. in caries-associated biofilms (but not saliva) when compared to caries-free controls [mean difference: 2.22 (0.54–3.90); p = 0.01].Conclusions:Veillonella spp. is more abundant in individuals suffering with ECC when compared to caries-free controls (very low evidence certainty), and should be considered for further studies to observe their metabolism in dental caries. There is an urgent need for a consensus in methodologies used to allow for more rigorous comparison between NGS studies, particularly including clinical data and details of caries diagnosis, as they are currently scarce. Inconsistent reporting on the NGS data affected the cross-study comparison and the biological connexions of the relative abundances on caries microbiome.

: There is emerging evidence that several oral diseases and conditions can be associated with DM. Dental caries, hyposalivation, fungal diseases and endodontics lesions may represent potential oral complications that can be aggravated by chronic hyperglycemia. Individuals with DM have low perception of oral diseases which can lead to clinically important oral and systemic complications. This review aims to provide data on the most common oral signs and symptoms related to DM and to explore the mechanisms that might explain associations between DM and oral diseases in order to clarify the risks posed by poor oral health in DM. Since the linkage between oral diseases and DM is part of multifactorial aspects related to chronic hyperglycemic status and several common conditions affecting the whole body, both require rigorous self-control from patients and attention from medical and dental professionals.

It could conceivably be hypothesized that a link exists between an altered microbiota due to local hyperglycemia and the increased risk of caries in diabetes mellitus (DM). This systematic review aimed to perform a cross-study comparison into the salivary microbiota of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) compared to adults without T2D, particularly focusing on the abundance of acid-associated bacteria. This report follows PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Studies using next-generation sequencing and other molecular techniques are included. The methodological quality of individual studies was assessed using appropriate Joanna Briggs Institute tools. The certainty of the evidence considering the effect direction was evaluated using the GRADE approach. From 2060 titles retrieved, 12 were included in the data synthesis, totalling 873 individuals with T2D and controls evaluated across the literature. Weighted averages of blood glucose levels (HbA1c—fasting blood glucose) were 8.21%—172.14 mg/dL and 5.12%—84.53 mg/dL for T2D and controls, respectively. In most studies, the relative abundance of acidogenic and aciduric bacteria was higher in diabetics when compared to their normoglycaemic controls. Whilst the evidence certainty was very low, there was a consistent Proteobacteria depletion and Firmicutes enrichment in T2D. As for the acid-associated genera, there was consistent enrichment of Lactobacillus and Veillonela for T2D. Tannerella/T. forsythia was enriched in T2D saliva, but the certainty is low. Further well-designed cohorts are needed to clarify the distribution of acid-associated microorganisms in the saliva of adults with T2D and how this can be clinically manifested (PROSPERO = CRD42021264350).