The Positive Impact of School Dental Prevention Programs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Although preventable oral diseases are still very common among school-aged children worldwide, dental caries remains a significant public health concern despite decades of school-based prevention approaches. Oral hygiene habits formed during childhood are essential to long-term oral and general health. This study assessed how well various school-based oral health education strategies improved kids’ oral hygiene, during the education and in long term. Controlled interventional studies involving healthy children in school settings were used in a quantitative systematic review and meta-analysis. Teachers, dental professionals, or other educational methods were used to deliver the educational programs. Standardized oral hygiene indices were used to compare the non-educated control groups before and after the intervention. Artificial intelligence–assisted screening was used to improve the efficiency and consistency of the study selection process. While alternative educational approaches showed more limited effects, teacher-led and health care worker–led interventions were linked to significant short-term improvements in oral hygiene. However, over longer follow-up periods, improvements were not consistently maintained. These results show how crucial schools are as venues for promoting oral health, but they also suggest that traditional education-focused interventions might not be enough to bring about long-lasting behavioral change. To achieve long-lasting population-level oral health benefits, program design, implementation, and integration into larger health promotion strategies may need to be strengthened.