Educational Strategies in Children's Oral Health: A Critical Integrative Review on Pedagogical Foundations

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to critically analyse whether the pedagogical methods employed in promoting children's oral health are anchored in theoretical and methodological frameworks in education, and to what extent this anchoring manifests itself. METHODS: We searched in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, LILACS and ERIC databases, including grey literature (Google Scholar and ProQuest). Two researchers independently screened titles, abstracts and full-text articles for eligibility and extracted relevant data using a standardized form. Qualitative analysis categorized the studies into five pedagogical approaches (Technicism, Pragmatism, Constructivism, Historical-Cultural and Contemporary), based on the objectives and conduct of the interventions. RESULTS: We included 76 articles in the review. The qualitative analysis indicated that the Technicist Perspective predominated in 38 studies, followed by Constructivism (18), Historical-Cultural (9), Pragmatism (8) and Contemporary (3). CONCLUSION: Most interventions in children's Oral Health Education lack a theoretical and pedagogical foundation.