Mobile Applications for Oral Health Promotion in Adolescents: Efficacy, Challenges and Opportunities-A Comprehensive...

Background/Objectives: Oral diseases affect around 3.5 billion people worldwide and remain a major public health burden. Adolescence represents a critical stage for establishing lifelong oral health behaviours, particularly given the widespread use of smartphones in this age group. This review aimed to synthesise available evidence on the use of mobile health (mHealth) applications to promote oral health among adolescents, identify app features, evaluate their efficacy in improving oral health outcomes and behaviours, and explore barriers and challenges to their use. Methods: A comprehensive review was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. Studies published between 2010 and 2025 in English, Portuguese, or Spanish that evaluated oral health apps targeting adolescents were included. Data were extracted regarding study design, sample characteristics, app features, clinical and behavioural outcomes, and barriers to app use. Methodological quality was assessed using RoB 2, ROBINS-I, and the JBI checklist, as appropriate. Results: Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 19 randomised controlled trials, 3 qualitative studies, and 3 non-randomised trials. Common app features included educational content, brushing timers, reminders, gamification, and communication with professionals. Most studies demonstrated improvements in plaque and gingival indices, brushing frequency, and oral health knowledge, particularly when apps incorporated behaviour change techniques. However, long-term adherence, usability issues, and lack of regulation remain major limitations. Conclusions: mHealth applications show promise as complementary tools for promoting oral health in adolescents. Their success depends on sustained engagement, evidence-based content, user-centred design, and integration with traditional preventive approaches.