Evaluating the Efficacy of mHealth Interventions in Promoting Healthy Smiles among Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Early childhood caries remains prevalent despite being preventable. Mobile health (mHealth) tools such as apps, chatbots, SMS, and telehealth offer novel strategies for oral health promotion. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mHealth interventions in improving oral health outcomes among children. Following PRISMA 2020, PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, and the Cochrane Library were searched for randomized and clinical trials published in English within the past 5 years (up to November 15, 2024). Studies included healthy children aged 0–12 years. Two reviewers extracted data; risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane RoB 2 tool, and meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects model in CMA Version 4. From 6480 records, six studies with follow-up durations ranging from 2 weeks to 12 months were included. Interventions improved oral hygiene behaviors and fluoride use. Meta-analysis showed significant improvement in caries outcomes (effect size = 3.74, 95% CI: 1.43–6.05; I ² = 21.1%), while plaque outcomes were inconsistent. mHealth interventions enhance oral health behaviors, but their long-term effect on caries remains uncertain. Longer follow-up and AI-driven approaches are needed.