Background Dental caries is the most common non transmissible chronic disease in childhood and the control of dental biofilm in children is one of the greatest challenges in oral disease prevention. Digital media applications can help patients in improving their oral hygiene performance and reducing the number of appointments due to pain and discomfort reasons. This study aims to investigate the use of an smartphone application (WhatsApp) to deliver oral health education to mother-child pairs, with the ultimate goal of controlling dental biofilm and caries through digital activities focused on oral hygiene. Methods This study was designed as a randomized, double-blind, parallel clinical trial involving 100 pairs of mothers and children (6–12 years old). The mothers and children will be randomly allocated to the control group (n = 50 pairs), who will receive a single visit conventional oral health education, or to the experimental group (n = 50 pairs), who will receive both a single visit conventional oral health education and educational videos through WhatsApp Messenger, twice a week. Before randomization of the groups and after the intervention, pairs will be evaluated regarding to plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), and number of decayed, missing and filled permanent or primary teeth (DMF-T) modified by the inclusion of active non-cavitated carious lesions (Nyvad criteria). Socioeconomic data, dental history, and oral health literacy will obtained using questionnaires (Oral Health Literacy Assessment Task for Paediatric Dentistry; BOHLAT-P). Chi-square, Student’s t-test, paired Student’s t-test, Mann-Whitney, and Friedman tests will be used with a 5% significance level. Discussion This intervention proposal is designed to motivate behavioral change in mother-child pairs. We hypothesize that adding digital media to traditional oral health programs will provoke improvements in oral hygiene behavior and health outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating the effect of educational videos communicated by digital media (WhatsApp) on the oral health of mother-child pairs evaluated by long-term dental examinations. In addition, we will assess the maternal level of comprehension of the provided information via a literacy assessment tool. The clinical trial is registered at the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (No. RBR-7s8bw6m).

Early consumption of foods containing sugar is increasing and one of the consequences of this exposure is caries in early childhood, that is, in children under 6 years of age. Early consumption results in the child’s taste and food choice throughout life, maintaining cariogenic dietary patterns. It is important to emphasize that most eating behaviors occur due to family influence. Therefore, an approach in dental prenatal care and consultations until the first year of age, allows the establishment of eating habits and oral hygiene, as well as guidelines and instructions for the adoption of certain measures that contribute to the health of pregnant women and babies. Based on the present study, we conclude the importance of establishing the relationship between the dentist and the pregnant woman, since early educational actions act directly on health in the gestational period and the child’s growth. The early consumption of sugar is correlated with the occurrence of caries in early childhood due to family habits. Therefore, it becomes relevant instructions that help in maintaining healthy nutritional habits and correct oral hygiene practices, since focusing on educational actions increases the chances of healthy gestational and infant development.

The human mouth is home to many microorganisms, both heroes and villains. The most famous villains feed on the sugar we eat. Sugars make the villains strong, and the villains can hurt our teeth and cause dental caries (cavities). Cavities often happen when we eat too many candies and do not brush our teeth which make our teeth extremely weak. To prevent cavities, we can change our eating behaviors and improve our oral hygiene habits, which include brushing our teeth with toothpaste and using dental floss. It is important to ensure that our teeth are strong and healthy. After all, who does not want to have healthy teeth?