Estratégias tecnológicas em saúde bucal para adolescentes: da revisão de evidências ao desenvolvimento de um website.

Abstract

The significant expansion of digital health has driven the development of innovative educational tools aimed at adolescents. In this context, this study focused on developing an interactive and engaging website on oral health education, supported by artificial intelligence, for adolescents aged 10 to 15 years old. The technology is intended to be used in the waiting rooms of public health services and also serves as an educational tool for students involved in the Waiting Room Project, an extension initiative of the School of Dentistry at the Federal University of Uberlândia (FOUFU). Chapter 1 presents a scoping review conducted to map the available scientific evidence on technological educational strategies in health for this population. The study followed the recommendations of the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews, and data collection was carried out across five databases, excluding books, documents, theses, conference proceedings, reviews, and articles unrelated to the proposed topic. The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) was used to define the descriptors, based on the PCC mnemonic: P (Population) – adolescents; C (Concept) – educational technologies in health; C (Context) – website. The final sample included 13 articles that addressed different digital strategies, with the three most cited being educational games/gamification, interactive videos, and illustrated/informative texts. Chapter 2 describes the applied research phase, in which the website was developed using React.js and the Material User Interface library (version 19.0.0). The site’s content was structured around four main themes: oral health, healthy habits, emotional health, and sexual health. Each section addresses, in a playful and interactive manner, topics such as oral hygiene, main oral diseases, orthodontic appliances, whitening, wisdom teeth, balanced diet, physical activity, avoidance of smoking, drugs and alcohol, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, bullying, and excessive screen time. The materials are presented through videos, comics, illustrations in accessible language, and games (memory game, flashcards, and true or false). Chapter 3 describes the creation of an informational folder designed to expand the reach of this technological tool, using accessible language for healthcare professionals and users. It is concluded that the website, developed in an integrated and interactive manner, aims to promote oral health among adolescents by encouraging autonomy and self-care through playful strategies aligned with their digital reality.