Digital Support for Daily Oral Hygiene: A Mobile Application to Improve Patients’ Adherence and Management of Periodontitis—Initial Implementation and User Feedback

TL;DR

A mobile app called PerioSupportPro was developed to help periodontitis patients improve their daily oral hygiene through reminders, educational videos, and motivational features.

Contribution

The novel contribution is the development and initial testing of a mobile app designed to support periodontitis patients in improving plaque control and adherence to oral hygiene routines.

Findings

User satisfaction was positively associated with reminders and motivational features in the app.

Most users appreciated the app's reminders, simple interface, and short tutorial videos.

A second version of the app was prepared based on user feedback and initial usability testing.

Abstract

Background: Maintaining daily optimal dental hygiene, especially in medically vulnerable patients with periodontitis, remains challenging in dental practice. Mobile apps and other digital tools might offer useful support alongside traditional advice. Objectives: This study aimed to develop a mobile health app, PerioSupportPro, that helps patients improve their daily plaque control habits. It also reports on the pilot testing of the app’s usability and users’ perception in a small patient group. Methods: The app was created by a mixed team including periodontists, psychologists, developers, and data protection specialists. The first version included reminders, gamified elements, video tutorials, and motivational messages. After internal testing, a group of 18 patients tested the app and completed a feedback questionnaire that assessed usability (Q3–Q5), educational impact (Q6–Q8), motivation (Q9–Q11), and overall satisfaction (Q12–Q14). Cronbach’s alpha was used to check internal consistency, and non-parametric tests were applied for basic statistical comparisons. Results: The motivation section of the questionnaire showed acceptable consistency (α = 0.784), while usability and educational impact had lower values (α = 0.418 and 0.438). No clear differences were found between age groups. Satisfaction was positively associated with reminders and motivational items. Most appreciated features included reminders, the simple interface, and short videos. Based on the input provided by the questionnaire, a few improvements were made, and a second version of the app was prepared. Conclusions: Early user responses show that PerioSupportPro may help motivate and guide patients in their oral hygiene routine. While still in an early phase, the app seems well-received and ready for future clinical validation with more users.

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