Oral Hygiene Reminders in Orthodontic Patients

Objective: To determine the effect of WhatsApp and Email reminders on oral hygiene compliance of orthodontic patients. Methods: A Randomized, parallel group, double blinded study was conducted on 54 patients undergoing orthodontic treatment at MAHSA University. They were randomized to 3 groups, namely WhatsApp (W) group, Email (E) group and Control (C) group with 18 subjects in each group. Group (W) and Group (E) received oral health messages once a week through WhatsApp and E-mail reminders respectively, while Group (C) did not receive any reminders. Plaque was measured at baseline (T0), after 4 weeks (T1), and after 8 weeks (T2). For each subject, two intraoral photographs were taken after application of plaque disclosing agent; and the area covered by plaque was measured on 12, 13, 43, 22, 23 and 33 teeth by planimetry.