Dental RECUR Randomized Trial to Prevent Caries Recurrence in Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Public Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science in Oral Health

Background:

• Recurrent dental caries in children poses a significant public health challenge, particularly after primary tooth extraction.
• Existing interventions often lack sustained impact or are resource-intensive.
• Children undergoing primary tooth extraction often belong to high-risk groups for future caries development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a dental nurse-delivered intervention, the Dental RECUR Brief Negotiated Interview for Oral Health (DR-BNI), in preventing recurrent dental caries in children.
• To assess the impact of DR-BNI on the incidence of new caries lesions in a pediatric population at high risk.

Main Methods:

• A 2-arm multicenter randomized controlled trial involving 241 children aged 5-7 years scheduled for primary tooth extraction.
• The intervention group received the DR-BNI, a 30-minute motivational interviewing-based session focused on caries prevention.
• The control group received standard advice regarding future tooth eruption and dental visits.

Main Results:

• After 2 years, 44% of children in the DR-BNI group developed new caries compared to 62% in the control group (P = 0.021).
• The odds of new caries experience were reduced by 51% in the DR-BNI group versus the control group.
• A 29% decrease in the relative risk of new caries was observed in the intervention group.

Conclusions:

• The DR-BNI is a successful, low-cost, and low-intensity intervention for significantly reducing the risk of recurrent dental caries in children.
• This intervention empowers dental nurses to facilitate behavior change, improving oral health outcomes for high-risk pediatric patients.
• The findings support the international integration of motivational interviewing-informed brief interventions into pediatric dental practice.