Current State of Serious Games in Dentistry: A Scoping Review

Objective: Over the past decade, serious games (SGs) have played a growing role in medical education and health promotion; however, little is known about their use in the field of oral health. This study provides a comprehensive synthesis about SGs developed for training oral health professionals or for health promotion in oral health. Material and Methods: A systematic search was conducted. The following electronic databases were reviewed: MEDLINE (1966 to September 2019), Embase (1980 to September 2019), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), LILACS and Scopus from inception to September 2019. Two reviewers independently screened and assessed the study's quality and extracted data. The Sardi and collaborators' tool was used to assess the quality of the evidence presented. Results: A total of 19 studies (25 articles) were selected. Games were divided into two categories: for specific educational purposes and for oral health promotion. Most studies involved oral health professions' students (n = 9) or school/preschool children (n = 9). Two studies included preschool children and parents. Interactive SGs were as effective as traditional noninteractive methods in improving oral health outcomes. Nonetheless, participants' feedback reflected a higher level of satisfaction in learning through games. The quality of the studies was limited due to the lack of a proper technical description of the games and the absence of discussion of the limitations and challenges of the games. Conclusion: The use of SGs in oral health is limited, and little valid empirical evidence is available to confirm their effectiveness. Further studies are required for using more rigorous designs, evaluation, and follow-ups.