What do systematic reviews say?

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 reported children's brushing frequency: almost all children (99%) at baseline reported twice daily brushing, and this level was maintained across all groups throughout the intervention (in baseline…
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Dietary supplements (alpha lipoic acid +/- vitamins/lycopene/green tea; hypericum; Catuama; lycopene) vs placebo

• Interventions for treating burning mouth syndrome 2016 · Cochrane All outcomes

  short-term (up to 3 months)
  SoF5 Dietary supplements vs placebo. Symptom relief short-term: insufficient or contradictory evidence regarding benefit of any evaluated dietary supplement; 628 participants (12 RCTs); very low. Subgroups: ALA without…
  12 studies · 628 participants
  Very low

A 10-minute film followed by the same 30-minute one-to-one hygienist instruction on sugar consumption and dental health, plus oral hygiene, fluoride and regular visits (a multi-intervention) vs No special instructions (control)

• One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  6 to 12 months
  Table 3, mean (SD) sugar consumption (1-5 scale): film-plus-instruction group 3.53 (1.27) at baseline to 3.06 (1.12) at follow-up (significant versus baseline); control 2.89 (0.99) to 2.88 (1.27). Results judged…
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Brief motivational interviewing (BMI) vs usual treatment alone

Brief one-session, manual-guided discussion based on the principles… led to lower alcohol consumption: consuming more than 21 units of alcohol per week compared with treatment at the outpatient clinic as usual; GRADE not reported.

• One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months
  RR 0.52 [0.32, 0.85]
  1 study · 151 participants
  GRADE not reported

One-to-one advice on sugar restriction: detailed information on the sugar content of foods, with instruction to refrain from sugar-containing foods between meals and to reduce sugar in main meals (6-week sugar restriction) vs No advice on sugar restriction

• One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 weeks
  Table 5, mean (SD) intakes/day between meals: intervention 6.7 (1.9) baseline, 0.8 (1.0) at 3 weeks, 0.9 (1.0) at 6 weeks, 5.6 (3.0) at 12 weeks; control 5.3 (2.3), 5.2 (2.9), 4.6 (3.5), 4.7 (1.5). Significant…
  1 study · 20 participants
  GRADE not reported

One-to-one advice on sugar restriction: detailed information on the sugar content of foods, with instruction to refrain from sugar-containing foods between meals and to reduce sugar in main meals (6-week sugar restriction) vs No advice on sugar restriction

• One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 weeks
  Table 5, mean (SD) intakes/day at main meals: intervention 2.8 (0.5) baseline, 0.7 (0.7) at 3 weeks, 0.8 (0.9) at 6 weeks, 2.3 (0.8) at 12 weeks; control 1.9 (1.1), 1.9 (1.2), 1.9 (1.1), 2.0 (0.9). Significant…
  1 study · 20 participants
  GRADE not reported

30 minutes of one-to-one instruction by a dental hygienist covering the relationship between sugar consumption and dental health, plus oral hygiene, fluoride and regular dental visits (a multi-intervention) vs No special instructions (control)

• One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  6 to 12 months
  Table 3, mean (SD) sugar consumption (1-5 scale): instruction group 3.41 (1.50) at baseline to 3.58 (1.07) at follow-up (significant versus baseline); control 2.89 (0.99) to 2.88 (1.27). The review judges the results…
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

One-to-one advice on sugar restriction: detailed information on the sugar content of foods, with instruction to refrain from sugar-containing foods between meals and to reduce sugar in main meals (6-week sugar restriction) vs No advice on sugar restriction

• One‐to‐one dietary interventions undertaken in a dental setting to change dietary behaviour 2012 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Follow-up at 3, 6 and 12 weeks
  Table 5, total mean (SD) intakes/day: intervention 9.5 (1.9) baseline, 1.6 (1.4) at 3 weeks, 1.8 (1.5) at 6 weeks, 7.8 (3.5) at 12 weeks; control 7.2 (2.6), 7.1 (3.7), 6.5 (4.2), 6.7 (2.2). Significant reduction versus…
  1 study · 20 participants
  GRADE not reported