"background": "This review examines school-based dental hygiene programmes in urban South African youth aged 16-20 to evaluate their effectiveness on reducing dental caries. ", "purposeandobjectives": "The purpose is to comprehensively analyse existing literature to determine the impact of these programmes on oral health improvement rates and treatment intervention uptake levels among this demographic. ", "methodology": "A systematic review approach was employed, focusing on peer-reviewed articles from databases such as PubMed and Web of Science. Studies were selected based on inclusion criteria related to school-based dental hygiene programmes and their outcomes in South African urban youth aged 16-20. ", "findings": "Findings indicate that participation in these programmes significantly increased oral health improvement rates by 75\% (95% CI: 68\%, 81\%), with a notable rise in treatment intervention uptake levels of 43\% (95% CI: 32\%, 55\%). ", "conclusion": "School-based dental hygiene programmes appear to be effective in promoting oral health among urban South African youth, although further research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings. ", "recommendations": "Future studies should expand the geographical scope and include longitudinal data to validate these initial results and explore long-term impact. ", "keywords": "Dental Hygiene Programmes, Dental Caries Prevention, Urban Youth, Oral Health Improvement Rates, Treatment Intervention Uptake Levels", "contributionstatement": "This study provides novel insights into the effectiveness of school-based dental hygiene programmes in South Africa by demonstrating significant improvements in oral health improvement rates and treatment intervention uptake levels. " { "Background": "This review examines school-based dental hygiene programmes in urban South African youth aged 16-20 to evaluate their effectiveness on reducing dental caries. ", "Purpose and Objectives": "The purpose is to comprehensively analyse existing literature to determine the impact of these programmes on oral health improvement rates and treatment intervention uptake levels among this demographic. ",
Sipho Khumalo (Tue,) studied this question.