The Effect of Chairside Verbal Instructions Matched with Instagram Social Media on Oral Hygiene of Young Orthodontic Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Andrea Scribante,Stefania Meles,Karin Bertino,Paola Gandini,Simone Gallo,Maria Francesca Sfondrini

doi:10.3390/app11020706

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of Instagram in improving oral hygiene compliance and knowledge in young orthodontic patients compared to traditional chairside verbal instructions. Design: Single-center, parallel, randomized controlled trial. Setting: Section of Dentistry of University of Pavia. Participants: 40 patients having fixed appliances in both arches were recruited and randomly divided into an intervention (n = 20) and a control group (n = 20). Intervention: At a first appointment, both groups were given verbal instructions and motivated to oral hygiene. In addition, multimedia contents on Instagram were sent weekly to trial participants for six months. Main outcome measures: For all participants, the bleeding index (BI), modified gingival index (MGI), and plaque index (PI) were assessed at baseline (T0), after one (T1), three (T2), and six months (T3). A questionnaire was administered at the beginning (T0) and at the end of the study (T3) to assess participants’ knowledge. Results: In both groups, BI, MGI, and PI significantly decreased (p < 0.05) at T1 (means control group: BI 0.26 ± 0.22, MGI 0.77 ± 0.36, PI 0.53 ± 0.20; means test group: BI 0.24 ± 0.22, MGI 0.65 ± 0.46, PI 0.49 ± 0.21) compared to baseline (means control group: BI 0.56 ± 0.27, MGI 1.23 ± 0.41, PI 0.87 ± 0.23; means test group: BI 0.54 ± 0.26, MGI 1.18 ± 0.39, PI 0.93 ± 0.20) but no significant differences in clinical measures were showed between T1, T2, and T3 (p > 0.05) (intragroup differences). Trial patients demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge with respect to controls comparing scores at T0 and T3 (p < 0.05) but despite this result in the test group clinical outcomes did not report significant intergroup differences at any time (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Presenting multimedia information through Instagram resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge. Therefore, this social media represents an aid to the standard verbal motivation performed by orthodontists towards young patients under an orthodontic treatment.

Highlights

IntroductionThe advent of the Internet and new digital technologies has completely changed the way we communicate
Introduction censeeMDPI, Basel, Switzerland.The advent of the Internet and new digital technologies has completely changed the way we communicate
The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Instagram, the most used social media app among young adults [25], in improving knowledge and compliance for oral hygiene among young patients with fixed orthodontic appliances

Summary

Introduction

The advent of the Internet and new digital technologies has completely changed the way we communicate. An exponentially increasing number of publications in medicine and dentistry have focused on the importance of using social media for health promotion interventions [3,4] and evidence suggests that new technologies can effectively contribute to improve knowledge and behavioral changes [5,6]. Social media have demonstrated to be a promising resource to facilitate chronic diseases self-management, medication adherence, tobacco cessation and support for mental health conditions [5,7,8]. Other recent studies used digital platforms to disseminate information related to skin cancer prevention [6], human papillomavirus vaccination [9], nutrition, and physical activity [10]

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Discussion

Conclusion