Motivational interviewing for preventing early childhood caries: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Abstract

Objectives: This systematic review with meta-analysis was performed to assess whether motivational interviewing (MI) is effective in the prevention of early childhood caries (ECC) and to examine potential sources of heterogeneity. Methods: Interventions based on motivational interviewing were considered eligible. The main outcome was new caries lesions (some studies included white-spot lesions in total count), and secondary outcomes included caregivers' oral health knowledge, home-care behaviours, plaque index, gingival index and fluoride varnish applications. Controls were any type of oral health education or negative controls without any specific intervention. Results: From a total of 1498 studies identified in the databases search, 1078 were assessed for eligibility by reading titles and abstracts, after removal of duplicates. Full-text screening was performed in 61 articles, with 18 reporting on 14 different studies included in the qualitative synthesis and 8 in the quantitative synthesis (four studies included new white-spot lesions in total count). Subgroup analysis was performed by the control group dmft/dmfs and the test for subgroup differences suggests that there is a subgroup effect (P = .06), so population caries experience modifies the effect of MI-based intervention. In populations with high caries experience, the MI-based approach proved preventing an average of 3.15 (95% CI: −6.14, −0.17) dmfs in young children. In samples with low caries experience, differences were smaller, since the caries levels were already lower (−0.31; 95% CI: −0.63, 0.00). Conclusion: Motivational interviewing has the potential to modify knowledge and behaviours and reduce ECC with a more significant impact on children with high caries experience. K E Y W O R D S dental caries, early childhood caries, motivational interviewing, preschool child, review 1 | INTRODUC TI ON Dental caries in children has declined in the past few decades, although many children still carry significant disease levels. 1 In 2010, untreated caries in primary teeth was the 10th most prevalent condition, affecting 621 million people globally, 2 but the effectiveness of individual interventions for disease prevention is unclear. 3 While dental health education seems to improve knowledge, its effects on

Caries Experience and Increment in Children Attending Kindergartens with an Early Childhood Caries Preventive Program Compared to Basic Prophylaxis Measures—A Retrospective Cohort Study

“…With regards to tooth brushing, these confounders were not assessed in the present study but should be taken into account in a prospective cohort study. Promising caries prevention concepts can be found in the literature, which start during pregnancy [ 64 ], implement interdisciplinary concepts [ 45 , 65 ], and use motivational interviewing to encourage parents to change their behavior [ 66 ] toward a tooth-friendly diet and regular dental care with fluoride toothpaste if caries is already present. In order to reach especially the caregivers of children with increased caries risk, an interdisciplinary prevention program should be based on a low-threshold “come structure” in combination with outreach care [ 45 , 67 , 68 ].…”

Nonrestorative Management of Dental Caries

“…A study reported motivational interviewing had inequivalent effects on patients with different levels of caries risk. Although motivational interviewing could effectively prevent caries in patients with high caries risk, its effect was insubstantial in patients with low caries risk [26].…”

Understanding dental caries as a non-communicable and behavioral disease: Management implications

“…This technique has been used in caries preventive programs with better results than traditional education techniques [ 71 ]. The extent and effectivity of the Motivational Interviewing in preventing caries has been recently systematically reviewed [ 72 ], showing that in high caries populations, this technique is helpful in increasing knowledge and changing oral health behaviors, resulting in lower early childhood caries experience, and also improving oral health behaviors and caries in adolescents [ 73 ].…”