Effectiveness of Smart Phone Application in Improving Oral Health Behaviours of Adolescents

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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This study would be a first step towards mobile-health associated Sustainable Development Goals by World Health Organization, as there are no mobile-health driven oral health activities in Karachi, Pakistan. Concurrently, it will help in improving knowledge and practices of adolescents towards general dental hygiene as this age is crucial for the prognosis of newly erupted permanent teeth. This would help in preventing chronic problems of adulthood. This will also help in reducing the number of days missed from school, increasing self-confidence of individuals as bad breath has a negative impact on one's self-esteem and confidence, giving a positive sense of aesthetics and will also keep in check over-all body health.Persistent unmaintained dental hygiene also overburdens families due to its high-maintenance outcomes like caries and early tooth loss. Dental treatment is considered as fourth most expensive treatment in developing countries . According to recent studies, households of low and middle income countries are at a higher risk of falling below the poverty line due to expenditure on dental problems. Such a simple intervention making use of modern-day technology would enable adolescents to keep their oral health in check and would prevent them from facing consequences of poor oral health.

Official Title
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Effectiveness of Smart-phone App in Improving Oral-Health Knowledge & Practices Among School Going Adolescents: A Randomized Control Trial

Conditions
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Oral Hygiene

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: m-Health application


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Adolescent of age between 14-19 years Having access to an android device at home; either personal or parents' Would be able to use the app twice every day- Having access to Wi-Fi at home- for downloading the app. Willing to give consent participate in the study till the follow-up period. Exclusion Criteria: - Having mixed dentition Undergoing orthodontic treatment Should have no serious existing gingival or dental problems* that could hinder calculation of plaque or gingival scores Should have no serious existing gingival or dental problems* that could hinder routine brushing. Taking medications that have effect on gingival/dental health Having intrinsic or extrinsic enamel defects/ tooth malformations Having more than 1/3rd of the tooth stained due to areca nut chewing, smokeless tobacco (gutkha) chewing or cigarette smoking.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 14 Years
Maximum Age: 19 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: m-health application<br>a mobile app designed to send reminders for brushing and give information on maintaining oral health | Behavioral: m-Health application<br>* Dental Buddy is a mobile application that has been designed to improve oral hygiene maintenance behaviours in teenagers<br>* Other names: Dental Buddy;|
| Other: Leaflet<br>This is the control arm. An educational leaflet for maintaining oral hygiene will be given to participants in this arm | Behavioral: m-Health application<br>* Dental Buddy is a mobile application that has been designed to improve oral hygiene maintenance behaviours in teenagers<br>* Other names: Dental Buddy;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knowledge scores | Knowledge scores will be assessed by a self-administered questionnaire with maximum score of 30 and minimum of 0. Higher scores mean better knowledge. | 6 weeks | 
| Practice scores | reduction in plaque index scores. score range 0-6. score 0 being the best and score 6 being the worst. Gingival index scores ranging from 0-6, score ) lesser (0) being the best and 6 being the worst. | 6 weeks |