Policy Interventions to Prevent Periodontal Disease in Rural India: A Scoping Review

Periodontal diseases remain a major public health concern, particularly in rural populations where access to preventive oral healthcare is limited. Various periodontal disease prevention policies have been implemented through rural health centers, yet their effectiveness has not been comprehensively mapped.

The objective of this study is to systematically map and evaluate existing evidence on the effectiveness of periodontal disease prevention policies implemented in rural health centers.

This scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Studies evaluating periodontal disease prevention policies in rural health settings were included. Databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Embase were searched. Data were charted and synthesized narratively.

Nineteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies evaluated community-based oral health education programs, training of frontline health workers, screening initiatives, and outreach activities in rural India. Short-term improvements were observed in oral health knowledge, oral hygiene practices, plaque levels, and community engagement. However, evidence regarding long-term periodontal outcomes, policy implementation, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness was limited.

Existing evidence suggests that community-based oral health education programs, outreach activities, and training of frontline health workers can improve oral health knowledge, hygiene practices, and short-term periodontal outcomes in rural India. However, evidence evaluating formal periodontal disease prevention policies, their long-term effectiveness, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness remains limited. These findings highlight the need for stronger integration of periodontal disease prevention into primary healthcare services, continued capacity building of community health workers, and robust policy evaluation frameworks. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes and scalable implementation models to support evidence-based oral health policy development in rural India.