Background: Early childhood caries is a common public health issue. Fluoride varnish therapy is an effective preventive method, and empowering mothers can increase access to this service. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of video-based training on improving mothers’ performance in performing fluoride varnish application.
Methods: Sixty mothers of children aged 3 to 12 years in Zahedan and Ilam, after watching a 4-minute educational video, administered fluoride therapy to their child under the supervision of a dentist. Their performance was evaluated using a 10-item checklist with a score range of 0 to 10. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data."
Results: Overall, 95 children were examined, and the mean maternal performance score was 9.3 out of 10. Additionally, 95% of mothers achieved accuracy above 80%, and 67% achieved accuracy above 90%. Mothers with higher education attained higher scores.
Conclusion: Remote education through a short instructional video can effectively empower mothers to perform fluoride varnish application correctly. Active maternal involvement in preventive oral health care can improve access, promote health equity, and reduce the risk of caries in children. This approach could be a feasible strategy for community-level oral health programs.