Apps for oral hygiene in children 4 to 7 years: Fun and effectiveness

Abstract

BackgroundNowadays apps in preschool age are largely used in learning improvement. The aim of this work was to test effectiveness of apps in improving oral hygiene in children patients aged from 4 to 7 years and evaluating correlation between parents educational attainment and children oral hygiene.Material and Methods100 patients aged from 4 to 7 years were randomly assigned by an external office in the study group (SG: 32 females, 18 males) and in the control group (CG: 28 females and 22 males). Plaque index (PI) and carious lesions localisation were detected. At baseline all patients and one of the parents were instructed at chair-side about the proper oral hygiene techniques. SG patients were also given app as an aid in oral hygiene practice. Follow-up was 12 months. Measurements were made every three months at chair-side visits. Information about children compliance in oral hygiene and educational level of parents were obtained by questionnaires at t0 and after 12 months.ResultsSG patients showed stronger oral hygiene and PI lower than those in CG. Questionnaire showed higher compliance of SG patients and parents educational level seemed to affect children oral hygiene.ConclusionsApps in children allowed achieving encouraging results with improvement of oral hygiene and health. Key words:Apps, oral hygiene compliance, children oral hygiene, motivation, educational attainment.

A Snapshot of Knowledge about Oral Cancer in Italy: A 505 Person Survey

“…Specific programs for improving awareness could be implemented using easy-to-use tools. Indeed, technologies have been found to be effective in increasing the motivation and awareness of patients [ 43 , 44 ], for example as health apps used to discourage incorrect habits and to encourage healthy behaviors and motivate people to work out or to comply with a balanced diet plan. In this regard, something could also be done to nudge the population towards regular self-inspections and dental visits [ 45 ].…”

Resin Infiltration in Dental Fluorosis Treatment—1-Year Follow-Up

“…Recommended intake of fluoride for primary prevention of caries is reported to be 0.05 to 0.07 mg F/Kg/day [ 6 ] and, when concentration is more than 1.5 to 4 mg/L as the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends, dental fluorosis occurs [ 7 ]. In this perspective, an important issue is to prevent the abnormal intake of fluoride in children and it has to be advised by parents and health care figures by paying attention to dental hygiene habits [ 8 ], to feeding and tap water drinking.…”

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“…30,31 Strategies that can be implemented to improve user engagement with an app include ease of use, attractive user interface, unique smartphone features (eg, real-time visualized brushing instructions), and tailored design and information. 13,15,30,31 Nevertheless, as suggested by several recently published studies, 17,18,28 incorporating mobile apps with a standard oral hygiene program may be a more plausible approach for oral health promotion among adolescents than educational lectures alone such as via distance motivational tutoring by a dentist or an educator.…”