What do systematic reviews say?

Gamified oral health interventions (mobile apps, serious games, augmented reality, game-based education) vs Conventional or traditional oral health education, or non-gamified interventions (comparator varied; several studies were single-arm/uncontrolled)

Gamified interventions appear to improve oral hygiene behaviors (brushing habits, preventive dental visits) in children, but the evidence is narrative and ungraded.

• The Application of Gamification in Children's Oral Health Management: Systematic Review. 2025 All outcomes

  Post-intervention (predominantly short-term; long-term follow-up in a minority of studies) · School-based settings, specialized dental clinics, and home-based environments
  A gesture-based motion-capture game enhanced brushing independence and skill retention (P<.001) [Kang 2021]; 58.8% of caregivers reported their children brushed more often when using gamified applications [France…
  Studies not reported
  GRADE not reported

Dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants (tailored advice focused on a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol intake) vs usual care

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  dmfs was listed in the SoF table but not assessed (not reported for this comparison).
  0 studies
  No studies found
• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  dmft was listed in the SoF table but not assessed (not reported for this comparison).
  0 studies
  No studies found

Dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants (tailored advice focused on a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol intake) vs usual care

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Data from Lapinleimu 1995 on mother oral health behaviour (other data) showed some evidence of benefit in favour of the intervention.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants (tailored advice focused on a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol intake) vs usual care

Dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants… showed no clear difference in mother plaque (sub- and supragingival calculus) compared with standard care; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.92 [0.62, 1.37]
  1 study · 133 participants
  GRADE not reported

Dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants (tailored advice focused on a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol intake) vs usual care

Dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants… showed no clear difference in mother gingival health (mild or moderate bone loss) compared with standard care; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 1.43 [0.42, 4.85]
  1 study · 133 participants
  GRADE not reported

Dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants (tailored advice focused on a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol intake) vs usual care

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Data on oral health behaviours from Lapinleimu 1995 (other data) showed no evidence of a difference between groups.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants (tailored advice focused on a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol intake) vs usual care

It is very uncertain whether dietary advice on how to achieve a healthy diet for infants… changes caries presence in primary teeth compared with standard care (very low certainty).

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

  Children assessed at 3 yrs
  RR 1.08 [0.34, 3.37]
  1 study · 148 participants
  Very low

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

It is very uncertain whether package of oral health education/promotion including oral hygiene… changes caries presence in primary teeth compared with standard care (very low certainty).

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

  Children assessed at 1-6 yrs
  RR 0.73 [0.50, 1.07]
  5 studies · 1326 participants
  Very low

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

It is very uncertain whether package of oral health education/promotion including oral hygiene… changes caries presence in top front four teeth compared with standard care (very low certainty).

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

  Children assessed at 3 yrs · Higher-protein diet trial
  RR 0.68 [0.42, 1.10]
  1 study · 226 participants
  Very low

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

Package of oral health education/promotion including oral hygiene… showed no clear difference in dmfs index score compared with standard care (low certainty).

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

  Children assessed at 3 yrs
  MD -0.87 [-2.18, 0.43]
  2 studies · 657 participants
  Low
• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Children assessed at 6 yrs
  MD -0.30 [-0.96, 0.36]
  1 study · 187 participants
  Low

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
  Two trials (Batliner 2018; Plutzer 2008) provided information on changes in mother oral health behaviours (other data): some benefit in favour of the intervention.
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

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

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
  Three trials (Muhoozi 2017; Pereira 2021; Yu 2021) reported changes in child oral health behaviours (other data): some benefit in favour of the intervention.
  3 studies
  GRADE not reported

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
  One trial (Harrison 2012) reported observing no adverse events; other trials provided no information on adverse events.
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

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

Package of oral health education/promotion including oral hygiene… led to lower child plaque (any plaque visible on any teeth) compared with standard care; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.35 [0.26, 0.47]
  1 study · 441 participants
  GRADE not reported

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
  Veronneau 2010 (narrative): at 5-6 yrs mean d1-4efs 4.9 (test) vs 6.8 (control) (p < 0.001).
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

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

Package of oral health education/promotion including oral hygiene… showed no clear difference in child microbiological presence (mutans streptococci colonisation) compared with standard care; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries 2024 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Yu 2021: MS colonisation level (CFU x10^4) lower with intervention at 2 yrs (MD -2.80) and 3 yrs (MD -15, 95% CI -27.75 to -2.25) but not 1 yr (MD -0.20, 95% CI -0.50 to 0.10); MS-to-total-bacteria ratio lower at 1 yr…
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

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

Package of oral health education/promotion including oral hygiene… led to lower siC30 index score compared with standard care; GRADE not reported.

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

  Children assessed at 6 yrs
  MD -0.93 [-1.73, -0.13]
  1 study · 187 participants
  GRADE not reported

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

Primary school-based behavioural intervention (both oral hygiene and… showed no clear difference in plaque indices (permanent and deciduous teeth) compared with no intervention or delayed intervention (non-intervention control;… (low certainty).

• Primary school‐based behavioural interventions for preventing caries 2013 · Cochrane All outcomes

  3 to 15 months
  SoF (Plaque indices, follow-up 3 to 15 months): 'All 3 RCTs showed a reduction in plaque in the intervention group compared to control group'; 827 participants (3 RCTs); GRADE low; comment 'Data not suitable for…
  3 studies · 827 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

  15 months
  PF 0.65 [0.12, 1.18]
  1 study · 60 participants
  Low