Effects of Educational Interventions on Oral Hygiene: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Background: This study assesses the impact of school based educational interventions on oral hygiene of students conducted worldwide. This is a systematic review and Meta-Analysis. Methods: Our investigation was conducted in electronic databases including MEDLINE Ovid), Embase Ovid, Scopus), Web of Science from 2000 to march 2018. The data were extracted based on a standard data collection form specific to observational studies, and entered into RevMan2014. Twelve studies of students in this review finally entered the study including five individual RCTs, four cluster-RCTs, and three quasi-experimental studies. Results: Meta-analyses showed a significant difference in knowledge (SMD 3.31, 95% CI 2.52 to 4.11; P < 0.001), attitude (SMD 1. 99, 95% CI 0. 43 to 3.54; P < 0.01), behavior (SMD 4.74, 95% CI 3.70 to 5.77; P < 0.001), plaque index (SMD -1. 01, 95% CI -1.50 to -0. 51; P < 0. 001) and Gingival index (SMD 0.33, 95% CI -0. 36 to 1.02; P = 0.34) for students receiving educational interventions compared to those receiving usual care . Discussion: The focus of the present study is the efficacy of all oral health education and promotion interventions, especially in terms of short-term outcomes. Since long-term and short-term results are of tremendous importance for oral and dental education programs, it will be possible to make these interventions in the future with several target groups, including families and teachers.