Learning from good practice: a review of current oral health promotion materials for parents of young children

Objectives To examine the quality of UK-based oral health promotion materials (OHPM) for parents of young children aged 0-5 years old. Data sources OHPM were obtained via email request to dental public health consultants and oral health promotion teams in the UK, structured web-based searches or collected from oral health events. Data selection Materials were included if: they were freely available; they were in English; they were parent facing and included oral health advice aimed at children aged 0-5-years-old. Data extraction Quality assessment was based on: whether the oral health messages were consistent with Public Health England’s Delivering better oral health guidance, and what barriers to good oral health were addressed by the OHPM using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Data synthesis A wide range of printed and digital OHPM were identified (n = 111). However, only one piece of material covered all 16 guidance points identified in Public Health England’s Delivering better oral health (mean 6, SD 4), and one other material addressed all 12 domains of the TDF (mean 6, SD 2). Conclusions Although there were examples of high quality, further development is required to ensure OHPM are clear, consistent and address a wider range of barriers to good oral health behaviours.