DIGITAL APPS FOR PEDIATRIC ORAL HEALTH CARE

Oral health is an integral component of a child's overall health, growth, and development. Despite advances in preventive dentistry, dental caries remains one of the most prevalent chronic diseases affecting children worldwide. Early Childhood Caries (ECC) can negatively impact nutrition, speech, school performance, self-esteem, and quality of life. Conventional preventive strategies such as oral health education, dietary counseling, fluoride therapy, and routine dental visits have proven effective; however, challenges related to accessibility, compliance, and long-term behavioral change continue to limit their success. With the rapid advancement of digital technology, mobile health (mHealth) applications have emerged as innovative tools for improving pediatric oral healthcare. This work reviews the role of digital applications in promoting oral health among children and examines their effectiveness in oral health education, behavior modification, disease prevention, anxiety management, dietary counseling, and early diagnosis.