Manuscript Title:

BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS BY DENTISTS AND PHARMACISTS TO IMPROVE ORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES IN CHILDREN: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Author:

GHADAH ABDULAZIZ ALHARBI, MAY MOHAMMAD ALOWAYEDH, DAHLIA MAJED ALMUTAIRI, SHATHA HASSAN ABUJABAH, ABEER M ALHARBI, MAY KHALID ALSHENAIFI, SAAD NASIR ALHAZZANI

DOI Number:

DOI:10.5281/zenodo.17622578

Published : 2025-10-23

About the author(s)

1. GHADAH ABDULAZIZ ALHARBI - Pharmacist, National Guard Hospital.
2. MAY MOHAMMAD ALOWAYEDH - Pharmacist, National Guard Hospital.
3. DAHLIA MAJED ALMUTAIRI - Pharmacist, National Guard Hospital.
4. SHATHA HASSAN ABUJABAH - Pharmacist, National Guard Hospital.
5. ABEER M ALHARBI - Developmental & Behavior Pediatric, National Guard Hospital.
6. MAY KHALID ALSHENAIFI - General Dentistry, National Guard Hospital.
7. SAAD NASIR ALHAZZANI - Operative and Aesthetic Dentistry, National Guard Hospital.

Full Text : PDF

Abstract

Background: Oral diseases are highly prevalent in childhood, and modifiable behaviours such as toothbrushing, diet and use of preventive products are key determinants of risk. Dentists and pharmacists are well placed to deliver behavioural interventions that may improve children’s oral health. Methods: This systematic review followed PRISMA 2020 guidance. Electronic databases were searched for original quantitative studies evaluating behavioural interventions delivered wholly or partly by dentists, dental team members or pharmacists to children and adolescents (≤18 years). Eligible designs included randomized and non-randomized intervention studies reporting behavioural and/or clinical oral-health outcomes. Data were extracted on study characteristics, intervention content and outcomes, and synthesised narratively because of heterogeneity. Results: Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Most interventions were delivered by dental professionals in clinical or community settings and used approaches such as motivational interviewing, theory-based health education and school-based toothbrushing programmes. Across studies, interventions frequently improved oral-health knowledge, self-efficacy, toothbrushing practices and sugar intake, and several trials reported modest reductions in caries experience or plaque indices. However, effects on clinical outcomes were inconsistent, with some high-risk populations showing little difference between intervention and control groups. No pharmacist-led behavioural intervention targeting paediatric oral health was identified, although existing literature suggests that pharmacists commonly provide informal oral-health advice in practice. Conclusion: Behavioural interventions led by dental teams can improve children’s oral-health behaviours and sometimes clinical outcomes, but effects are variable and often short-term. There is a striking absence of evaluated pharmacist-delivered behavioural interventions for children. Future research should develop theory-based, multi-component, interprofessional models that explicitly integrate pharmacists into paediatric oral-health promotion.


Keywords

Children; Oral Health; Behavioural Intervention; Motivational Interviewing; Dentists; Pharmacists; Health Promotion; Early Childhood Caries.