Mobile application-based support for treatment of patients with gum disease

INTERVENTION: Participants were listed and evenly distributed between the test (professional mechanical plaque removal including scaling and root planing and dental health education [PMPR‐DHE] + mobile application) and control (PMPR‐DHE alone) groups by a masked researcher who was not involved in the clinical examination. A periodontal mobile application intervention was only implemented for participants who belong to the test group. First, the participants were instructed to download and install mobile apps. For every visit, clinical periodontal parameters, which were recorded, were displayed inside the app to ensure that the participants were aware of whether their periodontal condition had improved or deteriorated. Additionally, the app served as a daily dental hygiene reminder for users as well as a constant source of education and motivation for periodontal health maintenance. Instructions on how to perform proper way of brushing and the use of complimentary dental hygiene tools, notably interdental brush and dental floss, were given simultaneously with the daily reminder sent for users through the app, twice a day (every morning and night). Moreover, dental health education were given to users three times a week in the form of interactive posters. CONDITION: Improving clinical, cognitive, and psychomotor aspects of patients with gingivitis or periodontitis ; Oral Health PRIMARY OUTCOME: 1. Clinical periodontal parameters: probing pocket depth (PPD) measured using periodontal probe UNC‐15 and visual inspection on six tooth surfaces, namely the distobuccal, mid‐buccal, mesiobuccal, distolingual, mid‐lingual, and mesiolingual surfaces of all teeth, except for the third molars, and the average probing depth value was measured at baseline, 1 and 3 months; 2. Clinical periodontal parameters: bleeding on probing (BoP) measured using periodontal probe UNC‐15 and visual inspection by assessing the presence of bleeding lasting up to 30 seconds, the BoP was recorded during the PPD measurement at baseline, 1 and 3 months; 3. Clinical periodontal parameters: oral hygiene index (OHIS) measured using a disclosing agent and visual inspection which stained plaque and calculus on all tooth surfaces to be evaluated at baseline, 1 and 3 months; 4. Cognitive scores recorded by using pretest questions at baseline and post‐test questions during the evaluation visits at baseline, 1 and 3 months; 5. Psychomotor scores assessed using a checklist form of oral hygiene procedures at baseline, 1 and 3 months SECONDARY OUTCOME: Microbiology periodontal complexes measured using next‐generation sequencing (NGS) at baseline, 1 and 3 months; INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. Gingivitis or periodontitis subjects 2. Aged between 35 and 55 years 3. Had never received periodontal therapy only during the previous 6 months 4. Android system‐based smartphone users