Phone-Based Parental Support Program for Caries Prevention in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Abstract

Introduction: Children referred for comprehensive dental care under general anesthesia, due to severe early childhood caries, have a high risk of continued caries progression in posttreatment years.

Objectives: To assess the effect of a phone-delivered, motivational interviewing-based parental support program on caries recurrence and oral health habits in preschool children treated under general anesthesia for severe early childhood caries.

Methods: The prospective design of this 2-arm randomized clinical trial (allocation ratio 1:1; blinded outcome assessment) comprised 151 patients from pediatric dental departments in the Stockholm region of Sweden. Inclusion criteria were healthy children aged <6 y with early childhood caries who were scheduled for treatment under general anesthesia. Control group parents received standard advice on toothbrushing and sugar reduction. Intervention group parents received planned phone counseling with an oral health coach every other week for 1 y, based on motivational interviewing principles, offered in Arabic, English, Polish, Turkish, and Swedish. The primary outcome was caries progression 1 and 2 y postsurgery, assessed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System. Secondary outcomes were parent-reported daily toothbrushing and dietary habits.

Results: Sixty-five percent of the control group and 77% of the intervention group experienced caries relapse on at least 1 new surface after 1 y (nonsignificant). At the 2-y follow-up, relapse rates were 53% (control group) and 71% (intervention group; P < 0.05) compared with baseline. The intervention group was significantly less likely to engage in adverse oral health behaviors such as snacking on sweets (intervention group, 10%; control group 33%) and sweet drinks (intervention group 9%; control group, 29%) after 1 y. No group differences in daily fluoride toothpaste brushing occurred.

Conclusion: The motivational interviewing-based parental support program improved dietary habits but showed no effect on caries recurrence in children treated under general anesthesia for early childhood caries.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02487043.

Knowledge transfer statement: The findings of this study can assist clinicians, public health leaders, and researchers in tailoring preventative behavior-focused programs for early childhood caries. These results may improve the understanding of how behavioral interventions that involve parents of young children affect caries prevention, highlighting approaches that are less likely to be effective and guiding future efforts toward more promising strategies for high-risk populations.