{ "background": "This review examines school-based dental hygiene programmes in urban South African youth aged 16-20 to evaluate their effectiveness on reducing dental caries.", "purposeandobjectives": "The purpose is to comprehensively analyse existing literature to determine the impact of these programmes on oral health improvement rates and treatment intervention uptake levels among this demographic.", "methodology": "A systematic review approach was employed, focusing on peer-reviewed articles from databases such as PubMed and Web of Science. Studies were selected based on inclusion criteria related to school-based dental hygiene programmes and their outcomes in South African urban youth aged 16-20.", "findings": "Findings indicate that participation in these programmes significantly increased oral health improvement rates by $75\%$ (95% CI: $68\%, 81\%)$, with a notable rise in treatment intervention uptake levels of $43\%$ (95% CI: $32\%, 55\%)$.", "conclusion": "School-based dental hygiene programmes appear to be effective in promoting oral health among urban South African youth, although further research is needed to confirm these preliminary findings.", "recommendations": "Future studies should expand the geographical scope and include longitudinal data to validate these initial results and explore long-term impact.", "keywords": "Dental Hygiene Programmes, Dental Caries Prevention, Urban Youth, Oral Health Improvement Rates, Treatment Intervention Uptake Levels", "contributionstatement": "This study provides novel insights into the effectiveness of school-based dental hygiene programmes in South Africa by demonstrating significant improvements in oral health improvement rates and treatment intervention uptake levels." } { "Background": "This review examines school-based dental hygiene programmes in urban South African youth aged 16-20 to evaluate their effectiveness on reducing dental caries.", "Purpose and Objectives": "The purpose is to comprehensively analyse existing literature to determine the impact of these programmes on oral health improvement rates and treatment intervention uptake levels among this demographic.",