EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SCHOOL-BASED ORAL HEALTH EDUCATION METHODS IN IMPROVING CHILDREN’S ORAL HEALTH : A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background: Oral health plays a pivotal role in the overall growth and development of children, influencing their physical, psychological, and social well-being. Despite advancements over the decades, the prevalence of poor oral health among children remains high, contributing to school absenteeism and reduced academic performance. Schoolbased dental health education has emerged as a promising approach to improve awareness and promote dental care utilization; however, its diverse dimensions and varying effectiveness remain underexplored.
Aim: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of school-based oral health education programs in improving children’s oral health outcomes, with a focus on their impact and effectiveness.
Results: A total of 1,200 articles were identified through database searches. After screening and excluding irrelevant studies, 45 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis.
Conclusion: Traditional classroom teaching, although widely implemented, demonstrated limited impact on sustained behavioral change. In contrast, interactive approaches such as games, role-playing, and supervised toothbrushing yielded
more enduring improvements in oral health. The integration of digital tools and parental involvement further enhanced outcomes but was often feasible only in resource-rich settings. The effectiveness of interventions varied significantly
across different cultural and socio-economic contexts.