Effectiveness Of Smartphone Application In Improving Oral Hygiene Compared To Oral Instructions In Patients With Plaque-induced Gingivitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Lecturer of Oral Medicine and Periodontology- Cairo University, Faculty of Dentistry, Cairo University.

2 Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology

Abstract

Attaining ideal oral health through preventive measures is the primary concern of dental health practitioners. Dentists and dental hygienists encourage patients to practice proper oral care by themselves; therefore, patients are advised to follow a benchmark or regimen of oral care . Inflammation is caused when the dental plaque accumulates around and under the gingiva, which eventually destroys the gingival tissue and leads to complicated periodontal conditions if the accumulation of dental plaque exists [2,3]. However, patients oftentimes fail to maintain the oral hygiene regimen which was instructed to them during the chair side time due to their hectic lifestyles in the current fast-paced time.



Smartphones are extensively used in every aspect of life in the current era, including in health sciences. Medical practices from teaching, research, and patient care to diagnosis of diseases can be performed easily nowadays using a handheld smartphone via different applications. In recent years, smartphone applications are often used in dentistry as an adjunct apparatus for motivation and oral health education [7–11]. Using different applications and text messaging services makes it simpler to motivate patients to maintain their oral care. In addition, along with smartphone applications, different social media platforms are also motivating patients to improve their oral health [12]. Different smartphone applications are available that send notifications to patients to remind them to take care of their teeth [15,16].Hence, the current study aimed to assess the effectiveness of smartphone applications compared to the old traditional methods in terms of oral hygiene instruction

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