SynthesisCaries research2019
Prenatal Oral Health Care and Early Childhood Caries Prevention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Synthesis in Caries research, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 80 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
80 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 174 citations in OpenAlex.
- Do clinical caries-preventive interventions applied to expectant mothers affect caries-related parameters in their children? A systematic review.European archives of paediatric dentistry : official journal of the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry · 2025Pooled it
- Oral Health, Anxiety, Depression, and Stress in Pregnancy: A Rapid Review of Associations and Implications for Perinatal Care.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Pooled it
- Are educational tools in oral health programs for pregnant women effective in improving the oral status of mothers and babies? A systematic review.Evidence-based dentistry · 2024Pooled it
- Effectiveness of interventions on improving early-life dental care utilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Quintessence international (Berlin, Germany : 1985) · 2024Pooled it
- Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Interventions with pregnant women, new mothers and other primary caregivers for preventing early childhood caries.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Can oral health education during pregnancy promote lasting behavioural changes?Evidence-based dentistry · 2026Trial
- Primary tooth emergence in young children is associated with a stress biomarker.Journal of developmental origins of health and disease · 2026Article
- Dental Pulp Stem Cells for the Management of Plaque Biofilm-Associated Infections : A Review.International dental journal · 2026Review
- Population-oriented health promotion and disease prevention interventions in primary healthcare: a scoping review of reviews.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Addressing Research Gaps in Early Childhood Caries: A Comprehensive Review.Dentistry journal · 2026Review
- Integrating Oral Health into Primary Health Care for Refugees: A Content Analysis of Health Strategies of International Refugee Health Organizations.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2026Article
- Maternal knowledge, attitudes, and practices are associated with dental caries in preschool children in eastern United Arab Emirates.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Public health dentists in maternal and child oral health in India: workforce roles, systemic barriers, and policy implications from a mixed-methods study.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Editorial: Strategies for preventing early childhood caries.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitude, and practice of antenatal care providers about oral health care for pregnant women: a cross-sectional survey study in Shanghai.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Editorial: Addressing oral health disparities in maternal and child populations.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Medicaid Dental Coverage and Preventive Dental Care Use Among Pregnant Adults.Maternal and child health journal · 2025Article
- A Pilot Program to Promote Maternal and Infant Oral Health Through Collaboration Between Dental and Obstetric Providers: Impact on Dental Visits During Pregnancy.Maternal and child health journal · 2025Article
- Association Between Parents' Self-Perceived Oral Health Knowledge and the Presence of Dental Caries in Their Children.Clinics and practice · 2025Article
20 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Despite the advancement of early childhood caries (ECC) prediction and treatment, ECC remains a significant public health burden in need of more effective preventive strategies. Pregnancy is an ideal period to promote ECC prevention given the profound influence of maternal oral health and behaviors on children's oral health. However, studies have shown debatable results with respect to the effectiveness of ECC prevention by means of prenatal intervention. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed the scientific evidence relating to the association between prenatal oral health care, ECC incidence, and Streptococcus mutans carriage in children. Five studies (3 randomized control trials, 1 prospective cohort study, and 1 nested case-control study) were included for qualitative assessment. Tested prenatal oral health care included providing fluoride supplements, oral examinations/cleanings, oral health education, dental treatment referrals, and xylitol gum chewing. Four studies that assessed ECC incidence reduction were included in meta-analysis using an unconditional generalized linear mixed effects model with random study effects and age as a covariate. The estimated odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals suggested a protective effect of prenatal oral health care against ECC onset before 4 years of age: 0.12 (0.02, 0.77) at 1 year of age, 0.18 (0.05, 0.63) at 2 years of age, 0.25 (0.09, 0.64) at 3 years of age, and 0.35 (0.12, 1.00) at 4 years of age. Children's S. mutans carriage was also significantly reduced in the intervention group. Future studies should consider testing strategies that restore an expectant mother's oral health to a disease-free state during pregnancy.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.