Odontology. 2026 Feb 18. doi: 10.1007/s10266-026-01345-z. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
This systematic review aimed to explore the potential effects of mucoadhesive tablets (MATs) on the pain and ulcer size outcomes in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS). A systematic search of EMBASE, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science was conducted. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing MATs with placebo were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool, and certainty of evidence was evaluated with GRADE. Outcomes were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis and expressed as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Four RCTs were included in the qualitative review and only three of them were included in the quantitative analysis. For ulcer diameter, MATs demonstrated a statistically significant reduction at day 5 (MD -1.97 mm, 95% CI -3.88 to -0.05; p = 0.044; I2 = 78.4%) and day 7 (MD -1.19 mm, 95% CI -1.86 to -0.53; p = 0.0005; I2 = 0%). No significant difference was observed at day 3 (MD -1.63 mm, 95% CI -3.99 to 0.74; p = 0.178; I2 = 85.9%). For pain intensity, significant short-term reductions were observed at day 2 (MD -1.69, 95% CI -2.46 to -0.93; p < 0.0001), day 3 (MD -2.63, 95% CI -3.93 to -1.32; p < 0.0001), day 4 (MD -2.82, 95% CI -3.83 to -1.81; p < 0.0001), and day 6 (MD -1.22, 95% CI -1.96 to -0.48; p = 0.0012). MATs were associated with short-term improvements in pain and ulcer size in RAS, although results varied across formulations and time points and were influenced by moderate heterogeneity. These findings should therefore be interpreted as preliminary, highlighting the need for larger, longer-term trials with standardized outcome measures.
PMID:41706378 | DOI:10.1007/s10266-026-01345-z
