Comprehensive oral health intervention (oral health education plus additional support: motivational interviewing, toothbrush/toothpaste provision, community engagement, and/or fluoride varnish/sealant application) delivered by non-dental health workers vs control (no intervention/usual care/isotonic exercise)
Caries experience · Children (mean age newborn to ~5.2 years) and their parents/carers
Comprehensive interventions produced a statistically significant reduction in tooth-level caries (dmft SMD -0.47, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.10; 4 studies; not GRADE-rated), though heterogeneity was very high.
1 finding from 1 review
- The effectiveness of behaviour change interventions delivered by non-dental health workers in promoting children's… 2022 All outcomesPrimary care and community settings; interventions delivered by non-dental health workers (multiple countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, UK, USA, etc.) · Comprehensive intervention (vs oral health education only)SMD -0.47 [-0.84, -0.10]4 studiesGRADE not reported