Rapid Review of Interventional Studies to Reduce Inequalities in Caries Among Children

Abstract

Aim: This review aims to assess and synthesize evidence from intervention studies to decrease socioeconomic inequalities regarding dental caries for children. Materials and Methods: A review of the literature up to July 2024 was done to find intervention studies that demonstrated a reduction in socioeconomic inequality in children. The following keywords were used: children, caries, intervention studies, and socioeconomic inequality. Any preventive or health promotion techniques aimed at lowering inequality in dental caries were considered interventions. Any groups that did not receive the intervention or that received an alternative intervention were included in the comparison. We used PubMed, Ovid, and Cochrane as our three databases. All 15 of the identified articles were evaluated for risk of bias using the Cochrane criteria. The rapid review process will be described using the Khangura et al. (2012) to update the findings on interventions to reduce inequalities in dental caries. Results: The 15 identified intervention studies encompassed fluoride varnish applications, health education and promotion initiatives in schools, and the fluoridation of water supplies, due to several methodological limitations. Specifically, some of the studies lacked confirmation of blinding for participants or providers and did not adequately conceal allocation, hence the quality of identified studies is considered moderate. Finally, the use of fluoride in the whole population and target population interventions showed a better impact on inequalities in caries. Conclusion: This review identified a scarcity of studies addressing interventions aimed at reducing socioeconomic inequalities in dental caries among children. Nevertheless, it highlighted that broad population-level interventions, especially community water fluoridation, were more effective and consistently impactful in diminishing these inequalities than targeted measures.