What do systematic reviews say?

Package of oral health education/promotion including oral hygiene advice for pregnant women, mothers, infants and young children, plus dietary and feeding practice advice for infants and young children vs usual care

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Birth to 6 yrs
  Plutzer 2008 reported dental attendance as cumulative child-visit categories (other data): intervention children more likely to have 1-2 visits, no difference for 3-4 visits, less likely for >=5 visits.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Criteria-based screening (dentist refers using pre-established criteria) vs Traditional screening

It is very uncertain whether criteria-based screening (dentist refers using pre-established… changes dental attendance compared with traditional screening (very low certainty).

• School dental screening programmes for oral health 2022 · Cochrane All outcomes

  3 to 4 months
  RR 1.01 [0.94, 1.08]
  2 studies · 5316 participants
  Very low

Criteria-based screening (dentist refers using pre-established criteria) vs No screening

Criteria-based screening (dentist refers using pre-established… showed no clear difference in dental attendance compared with no screening (low certainty).

• School dental screening programmes for oral health 2022 · Cochrane All outcomes

  3 to 4 months
  RR 1.07 [0.99, 1.16]
  2 studies · 4980 participants
  Low

Primary school-based behavioural intervention (both oral hygiene and dietary components) vs No treatment (or delayed treatment)

• Primary school‐based behavioural interventions for preventing caries 2013 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Worthington 2001 found no change in reported dental visits over the course of the programmes, with 97% of children at baseline reporting visiting the dentist every 2 years.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported