{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T12:05:45Z","timestamp":1790078745781,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":65,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789862400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FCT\u2014Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","award":["UID\/04585\/2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/04585\/2025"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00snfqn58","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["UID\/04585\/2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/04585\/2025"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/00snfqn58","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Dent. J.","Dentistry Journal"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: This systematic review compared complete (CCR), selective (SCR), and stepwise (SWR) carious tissue removal in vital permanent teeth with deep carious lesions. Methods: PubMed\/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and B-on were searched through 20 January 2026. Randomized trials were assessed with RoB 2, grouped by trial family, and analysed by distinct outcomes. Direct random-effects models were fitted only with at least three informative independent families, using REML and modified Knapp\u2013Hartung inference. The protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261321894). Results: Eleven reports from seven families were included. For SCR versus SWR, intraoperative exposure occurred in 0\/295 versus 12\/288 teeth (pooled RR 0.11, 95% CI 0.003\u20134.64; p = 0.127; three families), and late pulpal failure at 12\u201324 months occurred in 11\/254 versus 22\/243 teeth (pooled RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.01\u201321.53; p = 0.510; I-squared = 72.2%; three families). Both outcomes had very low-certainty evidence. Other direct contrasts were study-specific, and the exploratory network was too sparse for reliable inference. Conclusions: Evidence was insufficient to demonstrate a difference or establish superior long-term pulpal or restorative outcomes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/dj14090610","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,22]],"date-time":"2026-09-22T10:21:48Z","timestamp":1790072508000},"page":"610","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Complete, Selective, and Stepwise Carious Tissue Removal for Deep Carious Lesions in Vital Permanent Teeth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Emile","family":"Laville","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Quinta da Granja, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexandra Pinto","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Quinta da Granja, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6584-1199","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paulo","family":"Mascarenhas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Egas Moniz Center for Interdisciplinary Research (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Quinta da Granja, 2829-511 Caparica, Portugal"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"294","DOI":"10.1177\/0022034510379602","article-title":"The role of bacteria in the caries process: Ecological perspectives","volume":"90","author":"Takahashi","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. 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