Motivational Interviewing and Childhood Caries: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Dentistry
• Public Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Early childhood caries (ECC) remains a significant public health concern.
• Identifying effective interventions to prevent ECC is crucial for child oral health.
• Understanding mediators of ECC is essential for targeted prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an early childhood oral health promotion intervention on ECC occurrence.
• To assess changes in potential mediators of ECC following the intervention.
• To determine the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) and anticipatory guidance (AG) in reducing ECC.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 917 parent/child dyads in Western Australia.
• The intervention group received MI + AG, while the control group received standard care (lift the lip assessments).
• Data collected via questionnaires and clinical examinations at baseline and 18, 36, and 60 months; analyzed using regression models.

Main Results:

• Parental attitude toward oral hygiene significantly improved in the intervention group (p=0.005).
• Living in non-fluoridated areas and parental fatalistic beliefs were associated with increased caries risk (IRR=4.2 and IRR=3.5, respectively).
• The MI/AG intervention did not significantly reduce the incidence of dental caries.

Conclusions:

• The brief MI/AG oral health promotion intervention demonstrated efficacy in improving parental attitudes.
• However, the intervention did not lead to a reduction in early childhood caries incidence.
• Further research may be needed to explore more comprehensive strategies for ECC prevention.