Personalized oral health education may increase gum health knowledge, potentially leading to more positive attitudes and better oral hygiene behaviors. The review was recently published in the International Journal of Dentistry.
Furthermore, tailored education may improve patients’ confidence in managing their oral care, supporting more consistent brushing and flossing habits that can improve periodontal health, the authors wrote.
“This study suggests that personalized oral health education can significantly improve periodontal health,” wrote the authors, led by Yun Cai of the Malaysia Science University School of Dental Sciences (Int J Dent, April 27, 2026).
For the review, researchers searched databases for studies published from inception through December 31, 2023, examining the effects of personalized oral health education on periodontal health. Randomized controlled trials were included that met criteria and conducted a quality assessment of the selected literature. Eligible studies included periodontal patients or healthy individuals who received personalized oral health education, compared with similar groups who did not receive such education, they wrote.
Studies were excluded if they were nonrandomized, in vitro, or animal studies, including participants with systemic diseases, or medication or treatments affecting periodontal health. Primary outcomes included the plaque index (PI), the gingival index (GI), brushing frequency, and oral hygiene knowledge, while secondary outcomes included self-efficacy, oral health-related quality of life, flossing frequency, and oral hygiene attitudes and practices, with eight studies involving 3,384 participants ultimately included.
In one study, personalized education for the intervention group included presentations alone or combined with toothbrushing demonstrations. Another study used approaches focused on social cognition, either alone or paired with planning strategies. A separate study implemented a four-month intensive program that included dental exams, school visits by oral health workers to teach brushing and flossing, and behavioral “contracts” with parents and coordinators, they wrote.
The meta-analysis found that personalized oral health education significantly reduced the plaque index (mean difference [MD] = -0.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] [-0.63 to -0.21], p < 0.0001) and the gingival index (MD = -0.47, 95% CI [-0.67 to -0.27], p < 0.0001) compared to conventional methods. Additionally, it improved self-efficacy, oral health-related quality of life, oral hygiene knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and increased the frequency of brushing and flossing.
The review, however, had limitations. Future, long-term studies are needed to assess how well knowledge is retained and to identify effective strategies for implementing it, the authors added.
“Continued inquiry in this area may contribute to the development of evidence-based practices that could be implemented in diverse clinical settings,” Cai and colleagues concluded.
