Abstract
BackgroundSeveral studies have recently demonstrated that a post-treatment communication to explain the importance of an oral hygiene can improve the orthodontic patients’ compliance over a period of 66 days. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of a structured follow-up communication after orthodontic appliance application on oral hygiene compliance after 30–40 days.MethodsEighty-four orthodontic participants enrolled from patients who were beginning fixed orthodontic treatment at the Orthodontic Department, Gaslini Hospital, Genova, between July and October 2014 were randomly assigned to one of three trial arms. Before the bonding, all patients underwent a session of oral hygiene aimed at obtaining an plaque index of “zero.” At the following orthodontic appointment, the plaque index was calculated for each patient in order to assess oral hygiene compliance. The first group served as control and did not receive any post-procedure communication, the second group received a structured text message giving reassurance, and the third group received a structured telephone call. Participants were blinded to group assignment and were not made aware that the text message or the telephone call was part of the study. (The research protocol was approved by the Italian Comitato Etico Regionale della Liguria-sezione 3^ c/o IRCCS-Istituto G. Gaslini 845/2014, and it is not registered in the trial’s register.)ResultsThirty patients were randomly assigned to the control group, 28 participants to the text message group, and 26 to the telephone group.Participants who received a post-treatment communication reported higher level of oral hygiene compliance than participants in the control group. The plaque index was 0.3 (interquartile range (Iqr), 0.60) and 0.75 (Iqr, 1.30), respectively, with a significant difference (P = 0.0205).ConclusionsA follow-up procedure after orthodontic treatment may be an effective tool to increase oral hygiene compliance also over a short period.
Highlights
Several studies have recently demonstrated that a post-treatment communication to explain the importance of an oral hygiene can improve the orthodontic patients’ compliance over a period of 66 days
Post-procedure communication group vs control group Patients, who were contacted after bonding by means of a short text message or a telephone call, showed a plaque index lower than patients without contact after bonding
The plaque index We analyzed the effects of two structured orthodontic follow-up procedures, a telephone call or a text message, on oral hygiene compliance after the application of orthodontic appliance
Summary
Several studies have recently demonstrated that a post-treatment communication to explain the importance of an oral hygiene can improve the orthodontic patients’ compliance over a period of 66 days. The main goal of this study is to evaluate the effects of a structured follow-up communication after orthodontic appliance application on oral hygiene compliance after 30–40 days. Oral hygiene in orthodontics Oral hygiene is an important factor controlled by the patient during orthodontic treatment, which can affect the quality and timing of the therapy. A 2009 systematic review of the influence of text messages on behavior changes in the medical field demonstrated positive behavior changes in 13 of the 14 studies examined by the authors, including smoking cessation therapy, diabetes self-management, and anti-obesity behavior [5]. Telephone calls and text messages can reduce appointment no-show rates [6,7,8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
