What do systematic reviews say?

Theory-based oral health education/promotion interventions (HBM, TPB, SCT, HAPA, TTM, PMT, SOC, PRECEDE-PROCEED, MI) vs Control (waitlist, routine/standard oral health education, or minimal intervention)

Theory-based interventions showed no significant effect on DMFT scores (SMD -0.11; low certainty).

• Health promotion theory-based educational interventions for improving oral health in children and adolescents: a… 2025 All outcomes

  Post-intervention (follow-up 3 to 12 months, varies by study) · School-based and community settings; multiple countries (predominantly Iran; also Pakistan, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Thailand) · Overall
  SMD -0.11 [-0.27, 0.04]
  4 studies · 2556 participants
  Low

Theory-based oral health education/promotion interventions (HBM, TPB, SCT, HAPA, TTM, PMT, SOC, PRECEDE-PROCEED, MI) vs Control (waitlist, routine/standard oral health education, or minimal intervention)

Theory-based interventions significantly improved periodontal health (SMD -1.18; moderate certainty).

• Health promotion theory-based educational interventions for improving oral health in children and adolescents: a… 2025 All outcomes

  Post-intervention (follow-up 2 weeks to 6 months, varies by study) · School-based and community settings; multiple countries (predominantly Iran; also Pakistan, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Thailand) · Overall
  SMD -1.18 [-1.83, -0.53]
  4 studies · 3342 participants
  Moderate

Theory-based oral health education/promotion interventions (HBM, TPB, SCT, HAPA, TTM, PMT, SOC, PRECEDE-PROCEED, MI) vs Control (waitlist, routine/standard oral health education, or minimal intervention)

Theory-based interventions significantly improved oral health behavior (SMD 2.58; low certainty), with very high heterogeneity.

• Health promotion theory-based educational interventions for improving oral health in children and adolescents: a… 2025 All outcomes

  Post-intervention (follow-up 0.5 to 24 months, varies by study) · School-based and community settings; multiple countries (predominantly Iran; also Pakistan, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Thailand) · Overall
  SMD 2.58 [2.03, 3.12]
  6 studies · 13973 participants
  Low

Theory-based oral health education/promotion interventions (HBM, TPB, SCT, HAPA, TTM, PMT, SOC, PRECEDE-PROCEED, MI) vs Control (waitlist, routine/standard oral health education, or minimal intervention)

Theory-based interventions significantly improved oral health knowledge (SMD 1.09; low certainty).

• Health promotion theory-based educational interventions for improving oral health in children and adolescents: a… 2025 All outcomes

  Post-intervention (follow-up immediately after to 24 months, varies by study) · School-based and community settings; multiple countries (predominantly Iran; also Pakistan, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Thailand) · Overall
  SMD 1.09 [0.80, 1.39]
  7 studies · 10904 participants
  Low

Theory-based oral health education/promotion interventions (HBM, TPB, SCT, HAPA, TTM, PMT, SOC, PRECEDE-PROCEED, MI) vs Control (waitlist, routine/standard oral health education, or minimal intervention)

Theory-based interventions significantly reduced dental plaque (SMD -1.92; moderate certainty).

• Health promotion theory-based educational interventions for improving oral health in children and adolescents: a… 2025 All outcomes

  Post-intervention (follow-up 1 to 24 months, varies by study) · School-based and community settings; multiple countries (predominantly Iran; also Pakistan, Hong Kong, Lithuania, Thailand) · Overall
  SMD -1.92 [-2.42, -1.42]
  9 studies · 12562 participants
  Moderate

Systemic interventions (aciclovir, thalidomide, corticosteroids, rebamipide, etanercept, colchicine, interferon-alpha) vs placebo

• Interventions for managing oral ulcers in Behçet's disease 2014 · Cochrane All outcomes
  SoF 2 (systemic interventions vs placebo), grouped comment spanning all four listed outcomes (verbatim; the review's wording "topical" is a typo for systemic): "8 placebo-controlled trials evaluated topical…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Systemic interventions (aciclovir, thalidomide, corticosteroids, rebamipide, etanercept, colchicine, interferon-alpha) vs placebo

• Interventions for managing oral ulcers in Behçet's disease 2014 · Cochrane All outcomes
  SoF 2 (systemic interventions vs placebo), grouped comment spanning all four listed outcomes (verbatim; the review's wording "topical" is a typo for systemic): "8 placebo-controlled trials evaluated topical…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Systemic interventions (aciclovir, thalidomide, corticosteroids, rebamipide, etanercept, colchicine, interferon-alpha) vs placebo

• Interventions for managing oral ulcers in Behçet's disease 2014 · Cochrane All outcomes
  SoF 2 (systemic interventions vs placebo), grouped comment spanning all four listed outcomes (verbatim; the review's wording "topical" is a typo for systemic): "8 placebo-controlled trials evaluated topical…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Systemic interventions (aciclovir, thalidomide, corticosteroids, rebamipide, etanercept, colchicine, interferon-alpha) vs placebo

• Interventions for managing oral ulcers in Behçet's disease 2014 · Cochrane All outcomes
  SoF 2 (systemic interventions vs placebo), grouped comment spanning all four listed outcomes (verbatim; the review's wording "topical" is a typo for systemic): "8 placebo-controlled trials evaluated topical…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Medical interventions (systemic: analgesics, antidepressants, antiepileptics, steroids; topical: analgesics, anaesthetics) vs Another intervention, or no intervention

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions for iatrogenic inferior alveolar and lingual nerve injury 2014 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Results: 'No studies evaluated medical ... interventions.' No eligible RCT of medical interventions (analgesics, antidepressants, antiepileptics, steroids, topical anaesthetics).
  0 studies
  No studies found

Oral hygiene interventions (mechanical plaque removal): knowledge-based, behavioural, or skills training for people with ID or their carers vs Usual care, no care, or a similar alternative intervention

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Oral hygiene interventions for people with intellectual disabilities 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No studies measured dental caries levels. One RCT (Shaw 1991, Comparison 5) assessed DMFT at baseline only and did not report caries at any later time point.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Oral hygiene interventions (mechanical plaque removal): knowledge-based, behavioural, or skills training for people with ID or their carers vs Usual care, no care, or a similar alternative intervention

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Oral hygiene interventions for people with intellectual disabilities 2019 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No studies measured quality of life changes or long-term, patient-centred outcomes as formal outcomes; some studies commented on quality of life only in the discussion or conclusion sections.
  0 studies
  No studies found

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy, biofeedback, combination CBT/biofeedback, physical self-regulation/posture self-control) vs usual care

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy,… led to lower pain intensity (long term) compared with usual care (conservative treatment: education, counselling,…; GRADE not reported.

• Psychosocial interventions for the management of chronic orofacial pain 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Long term (more than 3 months)
  SMD -0.34 [-0.50, -0.18]
  7 studies · 658 participants
  GRADE not reported

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy, biofeedback, combination CBT/biofeedback, physical self-regulation/posture self-control) vs usual care

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy,… showed no clear difference in muscle palpation pain (long term) compared with usual care (conservative treatment: education, counselling,…; GRADE not reported.

• Psychosocial interventions for the management of chronic orofacial pain 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Long term (more than 3 months)
  Muscle palpation pain long term (greater than 3 months): 3 studies; results not pooled owing to substantial heterogeneity (I2=64%); insufficient evidence to draw conclusions for any individual intervention. One study…
  3 studies
  GRADE not reported

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy, biofeedback, combination CBT/biofeedback, physical self-regulation/posture self-control) vs usual care

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy,… led to lower depression (long term) compared with usual care (conservative treatment: education, counselling,…; GRADE not reported.

• Psychosocial interventions for the management of chronic orofacial pain 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Long term (more than 3 months)
  SMD -0.35 [-0.54, -0.16]
  6 studies · 455 participants
  GRADE not reported

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy, biofeedback, combination CBT/biofeedback, physical self-regulation/posture self-control) vs usual care

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy,… led to higher pain intensity (short term) compared with usual care (conservative treatment: education, counselling,…; GRADE not reported.

• Psychosocial interventions for the management of chronic orofacial pain 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Short term (3 months or less) · Combination CBT/biofeedback
  SMD 0.46 [0.02, 0.90]
  2 studies · 90 participants
  GRADE not reported

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy, biofeedback, combination CBT/biofeedback, physical self-regulation/posture self-control) vs usual care

Psychosocial interventions (cognitive behavioural therapy,… led to lower pain severity - impact: activity interference / disability (long term) compared with usual care (conservative treatment: education, counselling,…; GRADE not reported.

• Psychosocial interventions for the management of chronic orofacial pain 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Long term (more than 3 months) · CBT alone
  SMD -0.27 [-0.51, -0.03]
  4 studies · 285 participants
  GRADE not reported

Behaviour change / oral health promotion interventions delivered by non-dental professionals and health workers (nurses, midwives, health visitors, community health workers) vs control (no intervention/usual care/isotonic exercise)

Behaviour change interventions delivered by non-dental health workers produced a small, statistically significant reduction in caries experience at the surface level (dmfs SMD -0.15, 95% CI -0.25 to -0.04; 12 studies); the review judged the overall evidence to be of low quality (not GRADE-rated).

• The effectiveness of behaviour change interventions delivered by non-dental health workers in promoting children's… 2022 All outcomes

  Primary care and community settings; interventions delivered by non-dental health workers (multiple countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, UK, USA, etc.)
  SMD -0.15 [-0.25, -0.04]
  12 studies
  GRADE not reported

Behaviour change / oral health promotion interventions delivered by non-dental professionals and health workers (nurses, midwives, health visitors, community health workers) vs control (no intervention/usual care/isotonic exercise)

Behaviour change interventions delivered by non-dental health workers produced a small-to-moderate, statistically significant reduction in caries experience at the tooth level (dmft SMD -0.34, 95% CI -0.54 to -0.13; 6 studies); the review judged the overall evidence to be of low quality (not GRADE-rated).

• The effectiveness of behaviour change interventions delivered by non-dental health workers in promoting children's… 2022 All outcomes

  Primary care and community settings; interventions delivered by non-dental health workers (multiple countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, UK, USA, etc.)
  SMD -0.34 [-0.54, -0.13]
  6 studies
  GRADE not reported

Primary school-based interventions (one or more of: school health policy, oral health education, healthy school environment, access to oral health services, community involvement) vs usual practice

School-based interventions may reduce dental plaque scores (SMD -0.32, favouring intervention), but the certainty of evidence is very low.

• Effectiveness of primary school-based interventions in improving oral health of children in low- and middle-income… 2022 All outcomes

  Post-intervention; follow-up varied across studies (interventions ranged from <2 years to >=2 years and longer) · Primary schools in low- and middle-income countries (Southeast Asia, Africa, the Americas, Europe, eastern Mediterranean)
  SMD -0.32 [-0.46, -0.18]
  7 studies · 3339 participants
  Very low