Nutrition and oral health: multimedia training appears to inform dentists better than audio

Two formats compared among 166 dentists

Researchers recruited 166 general dentists in 2023 through online professional platforms. Participants were randomly assigned to multimedia or audio training, delivered over one month.

A validated questionnaire assessed knowledge through 11 items and self-reported behaviors through 9 items. Topics covered the links between nutrition, periodontal health, tooth decay, oral cancer, and dental erosion. The available abstract does not describe the materials or the time spent on each format in detail.

Higher scores, but the size of the gains is hard to assess

Both groups achieved higher scores after training, for both knowledge and self-reported behaviors. Changes within each group were statistically significant, with p < 0.001. The abstract reports greater gains with multimedia.

However, it provides neither pre- and post-intervention scores, nor the numerical difference between formats, nor confidence intervals. From this information alone, it is impossible to determine whether the multimedia advantage represents a meaningful difference in practice.

What this trial does not demonstrate

The study compares two active training interventions, with no untrained control group described in the abstract. It therefore tells us more about how the formats compare than about the effect of training versus no intervention.

Behaviors are self-reported: no observation of consultations or measurement of patient health is reported. A higher score therefore does not demonstrate that nutritional advice is actually delivered more effectively, or that it reduces oral health problems.

Finally, the abstract does not specify whether improvements persist beyond the training period. Online recruitment in a single city also limits generalizability to other professionals and care settings.

What we can take away

Multimedia is a promising option for dentists’ nutrition training. This trial is not enough to establish a lasting benefit for their practice or their patients’ health.