Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy

Abdul Haq, Jameela; Splieth, Christian H.; Mourad, Mhd Said; Vielhauer, Annina; Abdulrahim, Ruba; Khole, Manasi R.; Santamaría, Ruth M.

doi:10.3390/jcm12072680

Open AccessArticle

Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy

by

Jameela Abdul Haq

¹,

Christian H. Splieth

¹,

Mhd Said Mourad

^1,2,

Annina Vielhauer

¹,

Ruba Abdulrahim

¹,

Manasi R. Khole

¹ and

Ruth M. Santamaría

^1,*

¹

Department of Preventive and Pediatric Dentistry, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany

²

Department of Orthodontics, University of Greifswald, 17489 Greifswald, Germany

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(7), 2680; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072680

Submission received: 17 February 2023 / Revised: 17 March 2023 / Accepted: 25 March 2023 / Published: 4 April 2023

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Childhood Caries: Bio-Psycho-Social Disease Mechanisms, Prevention, and Management)

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Abstract

Background: Early childhood caries (ECC) remains a major global health problem. Various measures to prevent it have been implemented in the past, including those using digital applications. Aim: To evaluate the acceptance and efficacy of a digital application (FU-APP) based on evidence-based caries control recommendations for parents of children aged 6–72 months. Methods: Part 1, prospective questionnaire-based survey to test FU-APP (usage, acceptance, content information, usefulness, and satisfaction) filled out by parents (n = 22); Part 2, two-armed (test n = 20; control n = 23) care-based, randomized controlled trial, where the test arm received instructions verbally and via FU-APP, and the control arm received them only verbally. At baseline and follow-up (4 weeks), intraoral clinical indices (plaque index-API and caries-dmft) were recorded. Results: FU-APP was considered by parents to be a suitable tool for gaining knowledge about oral health practices for their children (all criteria >86%). No differences in the dmft levels were expected. However, API was significantly better at the follow-up in the test-arm (p = 0.01), with no differences in the control-arm (p = 0.72). Conclusion: A digital application can serve as an innovative tool to promote evidence-based oral hygiene recommendations among parents of children to control ECC. Its long-term usability and functionality should be tested.

Keywords: ECC; digital apps; acceptance; efficacy

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MDPI and ACS Style

Abdul Haq, J.; Splieth, C.H.; Mourad, M.S.; Vielhauer, A.; Abdulrahim, R.; Khole, M.R.; Santamaría, R.M. Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 2680. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072680

AMA Style

Abdul Haq J, Splieth CH, Mourad MS, Vielhauer A, Abdulrahim R, Khole MR, Santamaría RM. Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023; 12(7):2680. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072680

Chicago/Turabian Style

Abdul Haq, Jameela, Christian H. Splieth, Mhd Said Mourad, Annina Vielhauer, Ruba Abdulrahim, Manasi R. Khole, and Ruth M. Santamaría. 2023. "Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy" Journal of Clinical Medicine 12, no. 7: 2680. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072680

APA Style

Abdul Haq, J., Splieth, C. H., Mourad, M. S., Vielhauer, A., Abdulrahim, R., Khole, M. R., & Santamaría, R. M. (2023). Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 12(7), 2680. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12072680

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Digital Application for Promoting Evidence-Based Children’s Oral Health to Control Early Childhood Caries: Randomized Control Trial on Parental Acceptance and Efficacy

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