Evaluation of Tailored Electronic Reminders on Compliance With Removable Orthodontic Retention

Queen Mary University of London

Status: Completed

Conditions: Orthodontic; Retention; Compliance; Periodontal Health

Treatments: Other: Electronic reminder

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03224481

11153

Details and patient eligibility

About

Participants will be recruited for inclusion at a routine adjustment appointment prior to planned removal of the appliances. Following removal of the appliances, consenting participants will be randomly allocated to one of two groups by computer-generated random allocation. Allocation will be concealed from the treating clinician using of an opaque sealed envelope system. Standard stone model records will be available for all participants following removal of the appliances (T0).

Participants in both groups will have follow-up scheduled for 3 (T1), 6 (T2) and 12 (T3) months following removal of the braces. All participants will be instructed to wear standard clear, plastic (Essix-type) retainers on a full-time basis for 6 months, followed by night-time wear for a further 6 months. A micro-electronic timer will be integrated within the upper Essix-type retainer. All participants will be given standard advice at each recall visit.

Participants in the intervention group will receive tailored electronic reminders in the form of a mobile application. The frequency and content of the reminders will be informed by qualitative interviews involving participants from an allied trial, and from posts related to orthodontic retainers shared on social media. Instructions on the necessary duration of retention, maintenance of retainers, departmental details, allied to advice on appropriate management for appliance breakages, and delineation of the implication of suboptimal retainer wear will be included. Also, information related the debond visit and maintenance of optimal oral hygiene levels will be incorporated in the mobile application. Participants in the control group will not receive additional reminders. Treating clinicians will be kept blind to the study group.

All patients failing an appointment will be sent another. Those wishing to withdraw from the trial may do so at any point without affecting continuing care with records taken at the point of withdrawal from the study with data analysis on an intention to treat basis.

Thereafter, patient experiences with electronic reminders will be evaluated on a subset of participants using one-to-one interviews.

Full description

Details related to the intervention:

Participants in the intervention group will receive access to the 'My Retainers' mobile application via a unique identification code. The researcher will demonstrate the use of the mobile application with a brief description of its features. Participants in the control group will not have access to the mobile application.

Enrollment: 84 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 12 to 21 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 12 to 21 years
• Planned for removable retention with Essix-type vacuum-formed retainers
• In the permanent dentition

Exclusion criteria

• Inability to access or peruse electronic mail
• Cleft lip and palate and other craniofacial anomalies

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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84 participants in 2 patient groups

Receive electronic reminder

Experimental group

Description:

Participants in the intervention group will receive tailored electronic reminders. The frequency and content of the reminders will be informed by the qualitative findings of an ongoing trial, but are likely to include an intra-oral photograph taken pre-treatment and following removal of the active appliances, instructions on the necessary duration of retention, advice on maintenance of retainers, departmental details, advice on appropriate management for appliance breakages, and delineation of the implication of suboptimal retainer wear. Also, information related to the debond visit and maintenance of optimal oral hygiene levels will be incorporated in the mobile application.

Treatment:

Other: Electronic reminder

Control group

No Intervention group

Description:

Participants in the control group will not receive additional reminders.