Effectiveness of various methods of educating children and adolescents for the maintenance of oral health: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials

Mohammad Atif, Nitesh Tewari*, Seba Saji, Sukeshana Srivastav, Morankar Rahul

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaperReviewResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Background: School-based oral health education has emerged as one of the most effective methods to instill a positive attitude toward oral health in children. Aim: This systematic review (SR) aimed to assess the effectiveness of different methods of oral health education in children and adolescents. Design: Systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, LILACS, Scopus, and EMBASE on January 29, 2023. Review included only randomized controlled trials (RCTs), and their risk of bias (ROB) was assessed by Cochrane RoB-2. Data were extracted and analyzed by expert group. The GRADE approach was used to assess the quality of evidence for each outcome. Every step was conducted in duplicate, and disagreements were resolved by consulting the third reviewer. Results: The SR included 10 RCTs with majority showing a high ROB. They included 12 methods with the commonest being the use of leaflets/flash cards. Most interventions were effective in improving oral hygiene, gingival health, and knowledge except conventional teaching methods, lecture by using PowerPoint by dentists, and e-learning interventions. The grade of evidence in the majority of outcomes was found to be low or very low. Conclusion: Interventions using the interactive methods such as games, motivational-experiential learning, and audiovisual methods were found to be more effective than controls and other interventions. Variabilities in study methods and outcome variables must be addressed in the future.

Original languageEnglish
JournalInternational Journal of Paediatric Dentistry
Volume34
Issue3
Pages (from-to)229-245
Number of pages17
ISSN0960-7439
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2024

Keywords

  • adolescents
  • children
  • dental education
  • oral health education
  • systematic review
  • Humans
  • Health Education, Dental
  • Oral Hygiene
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Adolescent
  • Oral Health
  • Child
  • Schools

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