Effects of Social Media on Oral Hygiene With Orthodontic Patients

EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA REMINDERS ON ORAL HYGIENE MOTIVATION WITH FIXED ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of traditional and social media motivation strategies in improving oral hygiene with fixed orthodontic treatment.

In this prospective, controlled clinical trial, 44 orthodontic patients were equally allocated to a social media (Facebook, Instagram and X (Twitter)) and control group. The control group received only traditional communication including verbal and written instructions at the beginning of the therapy. The patients assigned to social media group received two posts twice a week reminding hygiene procedures in addition to standardized oral hygiene instructions. Periodontal scores were obtained at 4-6-week intervals during six appointments (T1-T6) using the gingival index (GI), bleeding index (BI), and planimetric plaque quantification (PI) on photographs

Inclusion Criteria:

• Class 1 malocclusion who had simple or moderate crowding and did not require tooth extraction.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with functional appliances; surgical patients; those with a history of periodontitis, poor orthodontic hygiene, and/or physical or mental disabilities were excluded from the study.