Comparative diagnostic accuracy of laser fluorescence and conventional caries detection methods in children: a systematic review and meta analysis

Background: Early detection of dental caries in children is essential for implementing preventive and minimally invasive treatment strategies. Laser fluorescence-based devices have been proposed as adjunctive diagnostic tools; however, their diagnostic accuracy compared with conventional methods remains uncertain. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of laser fluorescence devices compared with conventional visual and radiographic methods for caries detection in pediatric populations. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251274327). Electronic searches were performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library from inception to December 2025. Clinical studies involving children (