Effectiveness of Telephonic and Digital Postoperative Follow-up Communication Strategies on Patient Compliance, Clinical Recovery, and Quality of Life After Dental Extraction

Official title

Effectiveness of Telephonic and Digital Postoperative Follow-up Communication Strategies on Patient Compliance, Clinical Recovery, and Oral Health-related Quality of Life Following Dental Extraction

Overview

Effectiveness of Telephonic and Digital Postoperative Follow-up Communication Strategies on Patient Compliance, Clinical Recovery, and Oral Health-related Quality of Life Following Dental Extraction (CONNECT Study - CONtinuous post-operative NETwork Communication to Enhance Compliance after Tooth Extraction) Tooth extraction is one of the most commonly performed dental procedures. Although most patients recover uneventfully, complications such as pain, swelling, bleeding, infection, and dry socket may occur if postoperative instructions are not followed correctly. Dentists routinely provide verbal and written instructions after tooth extraction; however, patients may forget or misunderstand these instructions once they leave the clinic, resulting in reduced compliance and delayed recovery. Previous research conducted at our institution demonstrated that postoperative telephone follow-up improved patient compliance with post-extraction instructions compared with routine verbal and written instructions alone. Building on these findings, the present study aims to evaluate whether different methods of postoperative communication-including telephone calls, digital messaging, and a combination of both-can further improve patient compliance and clinical recovery following dental extraction. Participants undergoing routine dental extraction will receive the standard postoperative verbal and written instructions provided by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Depending on the assigned study group, participants may also receive structured telephone follow-up, digital communication via a secure messaging platform, or both during the early postoperative period. The information provided through these communication methods will reinforce the same postoperative instructions routinely given in the clinic and will not alter the clinical treatment received. Participants will be followed for one week after the extraction. Information will be collected regarding their adherence to postoperative instructions, pain levels, occurrence of complications such as dry socket, and oral health-related quality of life using validated questionnaires. These assessments will help determine whether additional postoperative communication improves patient recovery and overall treatment outcomes. The study involves minimal risk because the communication methods are intended only to reinforce standard postoperative care and provide patients with an opportunity to clarify any concerns they may have during recovery. Participation in the study is entirely voluntary, and patients may withdraw at any time without affecting the quality of their dental treatment. The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence on the most effective postoperative communication strategy following dental extraction. This may help improve patient education, enhance compliance with postoperative instructions, reduce preventable complications, and support the integration of digital communication technologies into routine dental practice.

Interventions

• Behavioral Telephonic Postoperative Follow-up
  Telephonic postoperative follow-up consists of structured telephone calls delivered by trained study personnel during the first postoperative week following dental extraction. Calls reinforce routine postoperative instructions, assess patient understanding, encourage adherence to medications and self-care recommendations, address common postoperative concerns such as pain or bleeding, and provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions regarding their recovery. A standardized communicat
• Behavioral Digital Postoperative Follow-up
  Digital postoperative follow-up consists of structured communication delivered through a secure mobile messaging platform during the first postoperative week following dental extraction. Participants will receive standardized reminder messages, educational infographics, and short instructional videos that reinforce routine postoperative instructions on medication adherence, oral hygiene, diet, saline mouth rinses, smoking avoidance, and management of common postoperative symptoms. Digital commun
• Behavioral Standard Postoperative Care
  Standard postoperative care consists of routine verbal instructions provided immediately after dental extraction, along with a standardized written instruction sheet. The instructions include guidance on bleeding control, medication adherence, oral hygiene, dietary recommendations, saline mouth rinses, smoking avoidance, and measures to promote uncomplicated healing. No additional structured telephonic or digital follow-up communication is provided beyond the routine postoperative review.

Primary outcome measures

• Patient compliance with postoperative instructions [Time frame: Postoperative Day 7]

Secondary outcome measures (4)

• Postoperative pain intensity [Time frame: 6 hours, Postoperative Day 1, Day 3, and Day 7]
• Incidence of alveolar osteitis (dry socket) [Time frame: Postoperative Day 3 and Day 7]
• Oral health-related quality of life [Time frame: Baseline (preoperative) and Postoperative Day 7]
• Patient satisfaction with postoperative communication [Time frame: Postoperative Day 7]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria - Participants must meet all of the following criteria:

Adults aged 18 years or older. Patients undergoing simple or surgical dental extraction under local anesthesia at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Able to understand and communicate in Arabic or English. Own a smartphone with access to a mobile messaging application (e.g., WhatsApp) and be able to receive telephone calls.

Willing and able to provide written informed consent. Willing to comply with the study protocol and attend the scheduled postoperative follow-up visits.

Exclusion Criteria - Participants meeting any of the following criteria will be excluded:

Patients younger than 18 years of age. Patients unable to provide informed consent. Patients with cognitive impairment, psychiatric illness, or neurological disorders that may interfere with understanding or complying with postoperative instructions.

Patients with hearing or speech impairment preventing effective telephone communication.

Patients without access to a smartphone or unable to use mobile messaging applications independently.

Patients requiring hospital admission following dental extraction. Patients undergoing extraction under general anesthesia. Patients who are unwilling or unable to complete the scheduled follow-up assessments.

Patients participating in another clinical trial that may influence postoperative recovery or study outcomes.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Triple blind

Primary purpose

Supportive care

Study locations

Saudi Arabia · 1 center

• College of Dentistry and Dental University Hospital, King Saud University Medical City — Riyadh

Publications

• Ramalingam S, Alotaibi O, Alqudairy Z, Alnutaifi A, Alotaibi A. Effectiveness of Phone Call Follow-Ups in Improving Patient Compliance to Post-extraction Instructions: A Cross-Sectional Study. Cureus. 2022 Nov 14;14(11):e31499. doi: 10.7759/cureus.31499. eCollection 2022 Nov. PMID 36532938

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07751822 · E-22-6719

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗