Mobile health interventions for oral health-related behavior management in adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances: a scoping review

To map the characteristics of mobile health interventions for oral health-related behavior management among adolescents undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment, identify the behavior change techniques embedded within these interventions, and summarize the reported behavioral, clinical, and implementation outcomes. This scoping review followed the Arksey and O’Malley framework and was reported in accordance with the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews. The review scope was structured using the Population–Concept–Context (PCC) framework. CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, CINAHL, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Embase were searched from database inception to June 2026. Studies published in English or Chinese were eligible. Two reviewers independently screened records, extracted data, and coded intervention components using the Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy version 1. Seventeen randomized controlled studies involving 1,236 participants met the eligibility criteria. Interventions were delivered through dedicated smartphone applications ( n = 5), direct digital communication ( n = 6), and social media or instant-messaging platforms ( n = 6). Twenty-five BCTs spanning 13 domains were identified. Instruction on how to perform the behavior, prompts/cues, and credible source were identified in all 17 studies (100%), followed by demonstration of the behavior (13/17, 76.5%) and information about health consequences (11/17, 64.7%). Behavioral outcomes were reported in 9 studies, clinical outcomes in 15 studies, and implementation outcomes in 5 studies. Favorable short-term improvements in oral-health behaviors and surrogate clinical outcomes were reported in several studies; however, findings were heterogeneous, and evidence regarding definitive orthodontic treatment outcomes remained limited. Current evidence suggests that mHealth interventions may support oral health-related behavior management and improve selected short-term oral hygiene–related outcomes in adolescents undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. However, intervention effects remain heterogeneous, and evidence regarding long-term effectiveness and clinically meaningful orthodontic outcomes is limited. Future research should prioritize theory-informed intervention design, greater integration of behavior change techniques, standardized outcome assessment, and longer follow-up.