Development and evaluation of the "Toothbrushing Timer with Information on Toothbrushes" application: A prospective cohort pilot study

Abstract

Objectives: For people, it is challenging to be conscious of the appropriate toothbrushing time to maintain good oral health in daily life. The aim of this study was to preliminarily examine the utility of an application (app) that combines a toothbrushing timer and information on toothbrushes.

Materials and methods: We developed the "Toothbrushing Timer with Information on Toothbrushes" app to help users ensure appropriate toothbrushing time and learn about the beneficial characteristics of toothbrushes. A total of 18 participants were registered for the study. At baseline (T0) and after 1 month (T1) of app usage, study participants answered a digital questionnaire that comprised three questions on oral health practice, self-efficacy in oral hygiene, and quality of life related to oral health (Oral Health Impact Profile-14 [OHIP-14]).

Results: Five participants were excluded from the analysis as they did not answer the digital questionnaire. Finally, 13 participants completed the survey with a follow-up of 1 month. The 13 participants were grouped into health professionals (n = 8) and non-health professionals (n = 5). The total scores for oral health practice and self-efficacy related to oral hygiene increased after a month of app usage in health professional and non-health professional groups. However, there were no significant differences between T0 and T1 in either group. The total score of OHIP-14 was lower at T1 than at T0 in both groups. Therefore, participants showed better oral health practice, self-efficacy in oral hygiene, and quality of life related to oral health at T1 compared with that at T0.

Conclusions: Our app showed positive results for the users and is useful in maintaining and promoting oral health awareness and practice. However, our pilot study lacks sufficient power and did not yield significant differences. Therefore, high-quality clinical trials with larger sample sizes are warranted for further improvement and evaluation.

Keywords: applications; mobile health; oral health; toothbrush.