Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Apr 6, 2025
Date Accepted: Oct 7, 2025
The Application of Gamification in Children’s Oral Health Management: A Systematic Review
ABSTRACT
Background:
Oral health is essential for children’s overall well-being, yet dental caries remains a significant global health issue. Gamification has gained attention as an innovative approach to improving children’s oral health by enhancing engagement and promoting behavior change.
Objective:
This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification in pediatric oral health management, focusing on game design elements, intervention platforms, and outcomes such as oral hygiene knowledge, behavior, and engagement.
Methods:
A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science and PsycINFO, identifying studies from 2014 9th February 2025. The review included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-experimental studies, and systematic reviews that focused on gamified interventions for children’s oral health. Data synthesis was performed using a narrative approach due to the heterogeneity of included studies.
Results:
41 studies were reviewed, most utilized digital interventions like mobile applications, serious games, and augmented reality. Game elements such as rewards, progress tracking, and interactive feedback were commonly used. The interventions showed significant improvements in oral health knowledge, behaviors, and engagement. Digital-based interventions were more effective in fostering long-term behavior change compared to non-digital alternatives. Engagement metrics revealed higher participation rates in gamified interventions, with improved adherence to oral hygiene routines.
Conclusions:
Gamification has potential to significantly enhance pediatric oral health management by increasing engagement, improving oral hygiene behaviors, and promoting sustained health behavior change. Future research should explore the long-term effects of these interventions, develop culturally adaptive tools, integrate gamification with existing public health programs to maximize their impact. Clinical Trial: It was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under registration number CRD42025644118.
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