Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41688112›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2026

Mapping evidence on implementation research in oral health: a global scoping review protocol.

Arun Rao, Anju James, Nitika Monga, Chandrashekar Janakiram

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Arun RaoPublic Health Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita School of Dentistry, Kochi, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8644-140X
Anju JamesPublic Health Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita School of Dentistry, Kochi, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4298-6464
Nitika MongaNon-Communicable Diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research, New Delhi, India.
Chandrashekar JanakiramPublic Health Dentistry, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita School of Dentistry, Kochi, India sekarcandra@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1907-8708

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionOral health is an integral part of overall health and well-being, yet oral diseases remain highly prevalent, affecting an estimated 3.7 billion people worldwide. The greatest burden arises from periodontitis, tooth loss and oral cancers, while untreated dental caries continue to be the most common condition globally. Despite advances in preventive technologies, community-based programmes and clinical innovations, the global burden of oral diseases has not proportionately declined. This highlights a persistent evidence-practice gap in oral health, where effective interventions have not been translated into routine practice at scale. Implementation research provides a valuable lens to understand how oral health interventions can be adopted, adapted and sustained in diverse real-world contexts. However, evidence on implementation strategies, frameworks and contextual factors in oral health remains fragmented, with no comprehensive synthesis to date. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The review will follow Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. A three-step search strategy will be applied to locate published and unpublished literature, including PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase and grey literature sources such as World Health Organisation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publications, government and non-governmental organisation reports and academic theses. No date restrictions will be applied. Duplicates will be removed using Zotero. Following screening and full-text review in JBI SUMARI, data will be extracted using a predesigned tool and synthesised descriptively. Results will be presented in evidence tables and a narrative synthesis, supported by figures and thematic mapping of strategies, frameworks and contextual factors. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval is not required for this scoping review. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal publications and conference presentations.

Indexed as

Implementation ScienceOral HealthGlobal HealthHumansResearch DesignScoping Reviews as TopicDentistryImplementation SciencePUBLIC HEALTH

Identifiers

PMID41688112
PMCPMC12911833

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.