CADTH (2019)

This is a paper for discussion. This does not represent the views of the Committee and should not be cited.

83.             Key endpoints covered: neurodevelopment, skeletal fluorosis, bone development and bone fracture, and thyroid function.

84.             Databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Health Technology Assessment database (all via Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) via EBSCO, PubMed, and Scopus.

Key search 1 - Medline

85.             Literature search date: 1 January 2014[16] to 18 October 2017 (updated biweekly until project completion[17]).

86.             Search concept: Fluorides (AND water) AND human (see below for further details).

87.             Chemical search terms (fluorides concept): Fluoridation/ OR (antifluorid* or defluorid* or defluorin* or deflurin* or deflurid* or fluoridation* or nonfluorid* or nonfluorin* or nonflurin* or nonflurid*).ti,ab[18],kf[19],kw[20].

88.             Chemical search terms (combined with water concept using AND operator): exp Fluorides/ OR (fluorid* or fluorin* or flurin* or flurid*).ti,ab,kf,kw.

89.             Water concept: exp Water supply/ OR Drinking Water/ OR Water Quality/ OR (water* or groundwater* or ground-water*).ti,ab,kf,kw.

90.             Species concept (exclusion, covered using NOT operator): (exp animals/ OR exp animal experimentation/ or exp animal experiment/ OR exp models animal/ OR nonhuman/ OR exp vertebrate/ or exp vertebrates/) NOT (exp humans/ OR exp human experimentation/ or exp human experiment/).

[16] Update to the reviews by Jack et al., 2016 (report to the NHMRC) and McLaren and Singhal, 2016. CADTH acknowledged that “there is a possibility, though rare, to miss on any relevant literature published before January 2014 and not included in the two identified SRs [systematic reviews]”.

[17] Possibly December 2018.

[18] Abstract.

[19] Author keyword heading word (MEDLINE).

[20] Keyword heading (MEDLINE).