SynthesisPloS one
The effectiveness of behaviour change interventions delivered by non-dental health workers in promoting children's oral health: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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
13 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Interventions Targeted to Parents for Improving the Oral Health of Children from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2025Pooled it
- A randomized double-blind clinical trial evaluating comparative plaque and gingival health associated with commercially available stannous fluoride-containing dentifrices as compared to a sodium fluoride control dentifrice.Journal of periodontology · 2023Trial
- Better living through chemistry? A randomized, double-blind controlled study evaluating the efficacy of plaque control and gingival health impacts of a novel stannous fluoride-containing gel.Journal of periodontology · 2023Trial
- Population-oriented health promotion and disease prevention interventions in primary healthcare: a scoping review of reviews.BMC primary care · 2026Article
- Community health worker-supported oral health promotion in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review of roles, interventions, and outcomes.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Knowledge, attitude and practice towards oral health in parents and teachers of kindergarten students: a cross-sectional survey.BMJ open · 2025Article
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Occupational Therapists in Promoting Oral Health: A Protocol for Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Investigating the relationships among oral health-related knowledge, attitude, practice, and self-efficacy in predicting oral health behaviors among female Iranian students.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Article
- Untreated early childhood caries is a potential disability: policy and programme implications for Africa.Frontiers in oral health · 2025Review
- Evaluation of oral health services and challenges faced by oral health practitioners working in Nyarugenge, Rwanda.PloS one · 2024Article
- Cost-effectiveness of dental caries prevention strategies in South African schools.BMC oral health · 2023Article
- Factors predicting oral health behaviors among students age 13-15 years in Shushtar city, Iran.BMC oral health · 2023Article
- Achieving Oral Health for All through Public Health Approaches, Interprofessional, and Transdisciplinary Education.NAM perspectives · 2023Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesDental caries is the most common preventable childhood condition. Non-dental professionals and health workers are often well placed to support parents in adopting positive oral health behaviours for their children. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions and their individual component behaviour change techniques (BCTs), that were delivered by non-dental professionals and health workers.
methodsA systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, TRoPHI and PROQUEST from inception until March 2021 was conducted. Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies for improving oral health outcomes in children were included. Quality assessment was carried out using Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and ROBINS-I tool. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger's regression intercept. Effect sizes were estimated as standardised mean difference (SMD) and odds ratio/risk ratio for proportions. Meta-analyses were performed for studies reporting mean decayed, missing, filled surfaces (dmfs) and mean decayed, missing, filled, teeth (dmft) indices. Behaviour change technique coding was performed using behaviour change technique taxonomy v1 (BCTTv1).
resultsOut of the 9,101 records retrieved, 36 studies were included with 28 showing a significant effect either in clinical and/or behavioural/knowledge outcomes. Most studies (n = 21) were of poor methodological quality. The pooled SMD for caries experience showed statistically significant result for caries prevention at surface level -0.15 (95% CI -0.25, -0.04) and at the tooth level -0.24 (95% CI -0.42, -0.07). In 28 effective interventions, 27 individual BCTs were identified and the most frequently used were: "Instructions on how to perform the behaviour" and "Information about health consequences".
conclusionThere is low quality of evidence suggesting non-dental professionals and health workers may help improve oral health outcomes for children. To confirm these findings, further high-quality studies incorporating a variety of BCTs in their interventions for adoption of good oral health behaviours are needed.
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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.