Integrating parental interventions into university outreach to prevent childhood caries

Abstract

Early childhood caries represents a priority public health challenge due to its high prevalence among vulnerable populations. Within this context, parental education serves as an effective preventive strategy, yet its integration into institutional professional training programs remains underexplored. This study aimed to identify evidence-based educational strategies for parents and assess their potential transferability to university extension programs in dental schools. A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted, analyzing 10 studies published between 2020 and 2025, selected for thematic relevance and methodological rigor. Results demonstrated that community workshops, digital messaging, personalized counseling, and home visits significantly reduced caries incidence. The feasibility of implementing these strategies in academic settings was evaluated using a multicriteria framework encompassing required resources, scalability, community partnerships, and student competency development. Low-cost, highly adaptable strategies such as digital campaigns and counseling in teaching clinics were identified as most immediately feasible for implementation. The study provides an evidence-based framework to guide the integration of these interventions into university outreach activities, simultaneously enhancing caries prevention and training socially responsible dentists through real-world learning experiences.