Improving Dental Floss Adherence and Gingival Health With SMS and an Innovative Floss Holder

Can we Still Save Dental Floss? Improving Dental Floss Adherence and Gingival Health With SMS and an Innovative Floss Holder in a Randomized Controlled Trial

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT03120559

Enrollment

144

Registered

2017-04-19

Start date

2015-06-01

Completion date

2016-03-30

Last updated

2017-04-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Behavior, Gingivitis

Keywords

Gingivitis, SMS, Dental floss, behavior change, HAPA

Brief summary

This study proposes to evaluate the effects of using a new floss holder (GumChuck) and the use of text messages during supportive periodontal therapy, on the psychological, behavioral and clinical parameters of patients with gingivitis, outlined by evidence and a theory-based framework.

Detailed description

Despite evidence on the benefits of controlling dental biofilm for preventing gingivitis, patients have difficulty complying. Floss holder devices and SMS may be useful in enhancing both the frequency and effectiveness of dental hygiene behaviors, by increasing patients' motivation and self-regulation efforts, but scarce scientific literature supporting their worth in controlling gingivitis and the underlying psychological processes is currently available.

Interventions

DEVICENew Floss Holder - Gum Chucks

Dental inter-proximal control with GumChucks floss holder

DEVICENew Floss Holder - Gum Chucks/SMS

Dental inter-proximal control with GumChucks floss holder and receiving 16 SMS during first 4 months.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE (Investigator)

Masking description

The researcher was blind to the patients

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Gingivitis BOMP \> 0.5 * 20 teeth (minimum 5 per quadrant) * \> 18 years old

Exclusion criteria

* periodontitis (pockets \>3), * smoking, * orthodontics, * pregnancy * removable partial dentures

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Change from BOMP (Bleeding on Marginal Probing) at 4 months	Baseline & 4 months	Gingival bleeding Index

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
HAPA behavioral variables questionnaire.	Baseline & 4 months	Assessment of HAPA variables (same 5 points Likert scale for each of the variables)
SMS opinion questionnaire	4 months	Opinion about receiving SMS and how can it influence the appointment
Self-report Dental Hygiene Behaviors questionnaire.	Baseline & 4 months	Level of tooth-brushing and dental floss frequency.

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026