On Motivational Interviewing for Oral Health Promotion: State of the Field and Future Directions

Behavior is important in dental disease etiology, so behavioral interventions are needed for prevention and treatment. Motivational interviewing has been proposed as a potentially useful behavioral intervention for oral health promotion, but results from published studies are mixed. Furthermore, this literature is immature; basic efficacy research and innovative applications are still needed. Although likely not as a stand-alone intervention, motivational interviewing may hold promise for dental public health.