Effect of Oral Health Motivational Interviewing on Prevention of Early Childhood Caries: a Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract Objectives: Early childhood caries (ECC) is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and is associated with poor growth and development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) during well-child visits on children’s oral health status and practices. Methods: This randomized controlled interventional study was conducted between April 2015 and June 2016. Mothers of infants aged between 6 and 12 months who attended their scheduled visits were eligible. Both groups received regular anticipatory guidance on oral health, and the intervention group received additional oral health education using MI augmented with an educational booklet and a reminder phone call. Study participants completed a questionnaire about oral health and nutritional habits 12 months post-intervention. Dental examinations were performed on children, and decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft) scores were calculated by a pediatric dentist. Results: A total of 241 mother-infant dyads were randomly allocated to the intervention (n = 121) and control (n = 120) groups, and 171 (70.9%) completed the final assessments. The overall incidence of caries in primary teeth was 21%. Caries frequency and dmft scores were significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (16.0% vs. 42.2% and 0.49 vs. 0.89, respectively [p<0,001]). Regular tooth brushing was significantly higher in the intervention group (51.2 vs. 5.6%, respectively [p<0,001]). Conclusion: Oral health education delivered during well-child visits by MI was associated with better oral health. MI reduced parental risk-related behavior for ECC in the study population. Well-child visits provide an excellent opportunity for counseling parents concerning preventive strategies regarding ECC.