PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY. Effectiveness of interventions on improving early-life dental care utilization: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This article systematically reviews randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing interventions aimed at improving early-life dental care utilization and reducing early childhood caries (ECC) in children under age 3. Interventions studied include prenatal oral health promotion, motivational interviewing, use of intraoral cameras with social work support, monetary incentives for tooth brushing, fluoride varnish applications, and probiotic administration. The review found that frequent prenatal oral health education and daily probiotics significantly reduced caries incidence, while interventions targeting parental motivation and barrier reduction showed inconclusive results. The authors emphasize the importance of establishing a dental home by 12 months of age, continuous parental involvement, and suggest future research explore technology-based strategies to engage underserved populations and enhance early dental care utilization.