An interventional study of Personalized Digital Oral Health Education via WhatsApp and Standard Oral-Hygiene Instructions in Oral Hygiene in Patients With Fixed Orthodontic Appliances, Dental Plaque and Gingivitis Infection, sponsored by Kurdistan Higher Council of Medical Specialties. Not yet recruiting. Open to participants aged 16 Years to 25 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-03.
Sponsored by Kurdistan Higher Council of Medical Specialties · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
This study will evaluate whether personalized digital oral-health education delivered through WhatsApp messages can improve oral hygiene in patients aged 16-25 years who wear fixed orthodontic appliances (braces). A total of 66 participants will be assigned to two groups. The intervention group will receive weekly digital oral-health messages for 12 weeks, while the control group will receive conventional verbal oral-hygiene instructions. Both groups will receive the same antibacterial mouthwash. Oral hygiene will be assessed at the beginning of the study and after 12 weeks by measuring plaque and gingival health using the Plaque Index and Gingival Index. The findings will help determine whether digital education can support conventional oral-hygiene instructions for patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.
This randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a personalized digital oral-health intervention in patients aged 16-25 years undergoing treatment with fixed orthodontic appliances.
A total of 66 eligible participants will be planned for enrollment and allocation into two groups in a 1:1 ratio, with 33 participants in each group.
The intervention group will receive weekly oral-health educational and motivational messages through WhatsApp over 12 weeks. The messages will address oral-hygiene practices during orthodontic treatment, including toothbrushing around fixed appliances, interdental cleaning, plaque control, gingival health, dietary habits, prevention of white spot lesions, and maintenance of oral hygiene.
The control group will receive conventional verbal oral-hygiene instructions. Both groups will receive the same alcohol-free antibacterial mouthwash to maintain consistency in this aspect of oral-hygiene care.
Clinical assessments will be conducted at baseline and after 12 weeks. Oral hygiene outcomes will be assessed using the Plaque Index and Gingival Index. The changes in these indices between the two assessment time points will be compared between the intervention and control groups.
The study is planned to recruit participants from dental centers in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq. Participation will be voluntary, and informed consent will be obtained before enrollment. For participants younger than 18 years, parental or guardian consent and participant assent will be obtained as applicable.
The findings are expected to provide evidence on whether digital oral-health education can support conventional oral-hygiene instructions for patients receiving fixed orthodontic treatment.
352 studies on the registry are indexed under Dental Plaque; 60 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 66 is above the median of 56 across 316 interventional studies indexed under Dental Plaque.
Browse Dental Plaque studies →Kurdistan Higher Council of Medical Specialties is the lead sponsor of 3 studies on the registry; 1 is open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
The criteria were revised on the registry on Nov 3, 2026. See what changed
IInclusion Criteria:
Patients aged 16-25 years.
Patients wearing fixed orthodontic appliances on both the maxillary and mandibular arches.
Patients who agree to participate in the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
Patients wearing fixed orthodontic appliances on only one arch (maxillary or mandibular).
Patients who do not meet the inclusion criteria.
Patients who decline to participate.
Participants will receive conventional verbal oral-hygiene instructions and the same study-provided antibacterial mouthwash as the control group. In addition, participants will receive weekly personalized digital oral-health messages through WhatsApp for 12 weeks. The messages will provide oral-hygiene education, motivation, and practical instructions for maintaining oral hygiene during fixed orthodontic treatment.
Behavioral: Personalized Digital Oral Health Education via WhatsApp
Participants will receive conventional verbal oral-hygiene instructions and the same study-provided antibacterial mouthwash as the experimental group. They will not receive additional oral-health messages through WhatsApp during the 12-week study period.
Behavioral: Standard Oral-Hygiene Instructions
A 12-week digital oral-health education intervention delivered through WhatsApp to patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment. Participants receive one oral-health message per week covering oral hygiene awareness, motivation, and practical instructions for maintaining oral hygiene around orthodontic appliances. Topics include toothbrushing techniques, interdental cleaning, gingival health, plaque control, dietary advice, prevention of white spot lesions, and orthodontic appliance care. The intervention is provided in addition to conventional verbal oral-hygiene instructions and the study-provided antibacterial mouthwash.
Conventional verbal oral-hygiene instructions provided to participants in the control group. Participants do not receive additional oral-health messages through WhatsApp during the 12-week study period.
Change in Plaque Index (PI) from Baseline to 12 Weeks
Plaque will be assessed using the Silness and Löe Plaque Index. Scores range from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating greater plaque accumulation and poorer oral hygiene. The change in score will be assessed between baseline and 12 weeks.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention.
Change in Gingival Index (GI) from Baseline to 12 Weeks
Gingival inflammation will be assessed using the Löe and Silness Gingival Index. Scores range from 0 to 3, with higher scores indicating greater gingival inflammation and poorer gingival health. The change in score will be assessed between baseline and 12 weeks.
Time frame: Baseline and 12 weeks after the start of the intervention.
No study locations are listed for this record.
Plan to share: Undecided — The decision regarding sharing individual participant data (IPD) has not yet been made. Any future decision will consider participant confidentiality, data privacy, ethical requirements, and applicable institutional policies.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Kurdistan Higher Council of Medical Specialties