Multimedia versus audio-based education for improving dentists’ nutrition-related knowledge and behavior: A randomized comparative study

BACKGROUND: Nutrition plays a crucial role in oral health, influencing the risk of caries, periodontal disease, erosion, and oral cancers. Dentists are key providers of dietary guidance, but require adequate knowledge to do this effectively. This study compared the impact of multimedia versus audio-based educational interventions on the knowledge and self-reported behavior of general dentists in Tehran regarding nutrition and oral health. METHODS: In this randomized controlled trial, 166 general dentists in Tehran were recruited in 2023 through professional online platforms and randomly allocated to either a multimedia-based or an audio-based educational intervention. Knowledge (11 items) and behavior (9 items) regarding the impact of nutrition on periodontal health, dental caries, oral cancer, and erosion were assessed using a validated questionnaire. The educational intervention was delivered over a one-month period. Within-group changes were assessed using paired t-tests, between-group differences using repeated-measures ANOVA, and the effect of demographic variables on post-intervention scores using ANCOVA, with baseline values as covariates (α = 0.05). RESULTS: Of the participants, 53.6% were women, and 37.9% worked in private practice. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge and behavior scores following the intervention (p < 0.001), with greater gains observed in the multimedia group. Analysis of covariance indicated that baseline knowledge and behavior were not significantly associated with age, gender, dental school, years of professional experience, or practice setting. CONCLUSION: Both multimedia- and audio-based educational interventions effectively improved dentists' knowledge and self-reported behaviors related to nutrition and oral health. Therefore, given dentists' busy work schedules, the use of these educational approaches may enhance their capacity to provide evidence-based counseling in the field of nutrition and oral health.