title: Teeth Tales: a community-based child oral health promotion trial with migrant families in Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Teeth Tales trial aimed to establish a model for child oral health promotion for culturally diverse communities in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  An exploratory trial implementing a community-based child oral health promotion intervention for Australian families from migrant backgrounds. Mixed method, longitudinal evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention was based in Moreland, a culturally diverse locality in Melbourne, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Families with 1-4-year-old children, self-identified as being from Iraqi, Lebanese or Pakistani backgrounds residing in Melbourne. Participants residing close to the intervention site were allocated to intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention was conducted over 5 months and comprised community oral health education sessions led by peer educators and follow-up health messages.
  
  
  METHODS
  This paper reports on the intervention impacts, process evaluation and descriptive analysis of health, knowledge and behavioural changes 18 months after baseline data collection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences in the Debris Index (OR=0.44 (0.22 to 0.88)) and the Modified Gingival Index (OR=0.34 (0.19 to 0.61)) indicated increased tooth brushing and/or improved toothbrushing technique in the intervention group. An increased proportion of intervention parents, compared to those in the comparison group reported that they had been shown how to brush their child's teeth (OR=2.65 (1.49 to 4.69)). Process evaluation results highlighted the problems with recruitment and retention of the study sample (275 complete case families). The child dental screening encouraged involvement in the study, as did linking attendance with other community/cultural activities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Teeth Tales intervention was promising in terms of improving oral hygiene and parent knowledge of tooth brushing technique. Adaptations to delivery of the intervention are required to increase uptake and likely impact. A future cluster randomised controlled trial would provide strongest evidence of effectiveness if appropriate to the community, cultural and economic context.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12611000532909).
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Bradley
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Christian
authors.affiliation: Deakin Health Economics, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gold
authors.affiliation: Jack Brockhoff Child Health and Wellbeing Program, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia Merri Community Health Services, Brunswick, Victoria, Australila.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Dental Health Services Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, Australia Melbourne Dental Health School, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Silva
authors.affiliation: Dental Health Services Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Hanny
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Calache
authors.affiliation: Department of Dentistry and Oral Health, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gussy
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.affiliation: Healthy Mothers Healthy Families Research Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Carlton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Elisha
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.affiliation: Merri Community Health Services, Brunswick, Victoria, Australila.
authors.forename: Maryanne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tadic
authors.affiliation: North Richmond Community Health Limited, Richmond, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Internet Commerce Security Lab, Federation University Australia and Pakistan Australia Association Melbourne, Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Iqbal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gondal
authors.affiliation: Merri Community Health Services, Brunswick, Victoria, Australila.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pradel
authors.affiliation: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moore
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006267:Health Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007493:Iraq / Q000208:ethnology; D007861:Lebanon / Q000208:ethnology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D010290:Parents; D014171:Transients and Migrants
keywords: ORAL MEDICINE; PUBLIC HEALTH