Mobile Oral Health Intervention Effectiveness on Orthodontic Patients' Oral Hygiene and Oral Health Literacy
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Mobile Oral Health Intervention.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Oral Health Literacy, Oral Hygiene. Basic parameters: 16 years — 25 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Egypt
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Effectiveness of Mobile Oral Health Intervention on Oral Hygiene and Oral Health Literacy Among Orthodontic Patients: a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial)
Overview
Orthodontic patients face unique challenges in maintaining optimal oral hygiene due to the presence of fixed orthodontic appliances, which tend to increase plaque retention, leading to gingival inflammation. Oral Health Literacy (OHL) plays a role in an individual's ability to understand and implement oral hygiene instructions effectively. Mobile oral health interventions involve the use of mobile technology such as smartphones to improve oral hygiene practices and outcomes. Aim of the study: To assess the effectiveness of a mobile oral health intervention using WhatsApp messages as compared to standard oral hygiene instructions on oral hygiene status and OHL level among orthodontic patients.
Interventions
- Behavioral Mobile Oral Health Intervention
46 messages delivered over a 3-month period (12 weeks) via WhatsApp
Primary outcome measures
- Oral Health Literacy [Time frame: Change from baseline to 1 month, 3 months, 6 months]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Oral Hygiene [Time frame: Change from baseline to 1 month, 3 months, 6 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances in both arches for the first time.
- Patients between the age of 16 and 25 years.
- Participants must own a smartphone with WhatsApp installed.
- Those who agree to be part of the research project and accept the informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
- The presence of systemic diseases affecting oral health.
- Patients with cleft lip and/or palate.
- Functional and orthognathic patients.
- Previous orthodontic treatment.
- Patients with a removable appliance.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
Study locations
Egypt · 1 center
- Faculty of Dentistry, Alexandria University — Alexandria
Publications
- Pubalan S, Zi Hong O, Yongxian T, Mabel L. Assessing effectiveness of WhatsApp messaging program in oral hygiene care for orthodontic patients: A randomised controlled trial. J Orthod. 2024 Dec;51(4):407-414. doi: 10.1177/14653125241230561. Epub 2024 Feb 17. PMID 38366912
- Cho HA, Im AJ, Sim YR, Jang HB, Lim HJ. The association between oral health literacy and oral health behaviors in North Korean defectors: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health. 2020 Jul 7;20(1):1074. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08550-7. PMID 32635907
- Balbaa NM, Hamza MA, Abdelaziz WE, Adham MM. Effectiveness of mobile oral health intervention on orthodontic patients' oral hygiene and oral health literacy: a randomised controlled clinical trial. BMC Oral Health. 2025 Dec 12;26(1):113. doi: 10.1186/s12903-025-07423-y. PMID 41382113
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06734325 · 0913-05/2024