Oral HealthNCT07765654
WhatsApp Messages to Improve Mothers' Oral Health Knowledge and Children's Toothbrushing
A study testing Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education and WhatsApp-Based Oral Health Messages in people with Oral Health and Dental Caries, run by King Abdulaziz University.
Trial summary
Tooth decay is one of the most common health problems in young children in Saudi Arabia. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is one of the most effective ways to prevent it, but preschool children cannot do this properly on their own and depend on their mothers to brush for them and to supervise them. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Oral Health, Dental Caries, Health Behavior
- What is being tested?
- Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education and WhatsApp-Based Oral Health Messages
- Type of treatment
- Pill or oral medicine, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 106 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 30 Aug 2026to 30 Aug 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Mother of at least one child aged 3 to 6 years
- Aged 18 years or older
- Able to read and understand Arabic
- Owns a smartphone with an active WhatsApp account
- Attending the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital at the time of recruitment
- Willing to participate and provide informed consent
Who cannot join
- Dental professional or dental student
- Currently participating in another oral health education program targeting child oral health or toothbrushing practices
Trial locations and contacts
No sites are listed yet. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of WhatsApp-Based Messages as an Adjunct to Oral Health Education on Maternal Oral Health Knowledge and Child Toothbrushing Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Tooth decay is one of the most common health problems in young children in Saudi Arabia. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is one of the most effective ways to prevent it, but preschool children cannot do this properly on their own and depend on their mothers to brush for them and to supervise them. Mothers usually receive oral health advice only once, during a dental visit, and a single session may not be enough to change daily habits at home.
This study will test whether short oral health messages sent to mothers on WhatsApp, in addition to the usual face-to-face advice, help mothers know more about toothbrushing and help their children brush better.
Read more
Mothers of children aged 3 to 6 years attending the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah will be invited to take part. All mothers will first answer a short questionnaire about what they know about toothbrushing and how their child currently brushes. All mothers will then receive the same 10 to 15 minute face-to-face oral health education session. After the session, each mother will be placed into one of two groups by chance, like flipping a coin. Mothers in the first group will also receive two WhatsApp messages a week for eight weeks, sixteen messages in total, covering how often to brush, how much fluoride toothpaste to use, correct brushing technique, and how to help and supervise their child. Mothers in the second group will not receive these messages.
After eight weeks, all mothers will answer the same questionnaire again, and the answers of the two groups will be compared. Taking part involves no dental treatment or procedures beyond the child's normal care, and mothers may withdraw at any time.
Read the detailed description
This is an open-label, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial with 1:1 allocation, conducted at the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mothers of children aged 3 to 6 years will be approached in the clinic waiting area. After electronic informed consent, participants will complete a baseline self-administered questionnaire delivered through Google Forms on their own smartphones, covering demographic characteristics, maternal oral health knowledge, and child toothbrushing behavior. All participants will then receive a standardized 10 to 15 minute individual face-to-face oral health education session delivered in Arabic by the principal investigator, using visual materials from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Saudi Ministry of Health.
Randomization will follow the baseline questionnaire and education session. A computer-generated block randomization sequence with varying block sizes of 4, 6, and 8 will be prepared in advance by an independent person not involved in recruitment or data collection, and concealed in sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes opened only after baseline assessment and education are complete.
Participants allocated to the intervention arm will additionally receive individually delivered WhatsApp messages twice weekly for eight weeks, sixteen messages in total, reinforcing the same toothbrushing content covered in the education session. Messages will be delivered in Arabic and may include text, images, or short videos drawn from evidence-based sources; all content will be reviewed by a pediatric dentist before delivery. Participants allocated to the control arm will receive the face-to-face education session only, with no further contact during the intervention period.
At eight weeks, all participants will be invited by WhatsApp to complete the same questionnaire through a secure Google Forms link, omitting the demographic and eligibility sections. Non-responders will receive up to three reminders at 3 to 5 days, 7 to 10 days, and 14 days after the initial invitation, after which they will be classified as lost to follow-up.
Blinding of participants and of the investigator is not feasible given the nature of the intervention, so the trial is open-label. Analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle and will use analysis of covariance comparing eight-week scores between arms with the corresponding baseline score as covariate; results will be reported as adjusted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Missing follow-up data will be handled by multiple imputation under a missing-at-random assumption, with estimates pooled using Rubin's rules.
The target sample size of 106 participants, 53 per arm, was derived for ANCOVA with alpha of 0.05, power of 0.80, effect size f of 0.31, and one covariate, giving 42 per arm before inflation for 20 percent anticipated attrition.
- Being tested
- Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education, WhatsApp-Based Oral Health Messages
- Keywords
- WhatsApp, mHealth, Mobile Health, Toothbrushing, Preschool Children, Maternal Knowledge, Oral Health Education, Health Promotion, Saudi Arabia
- Medical subject headings
- Dental Caries, Health Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health EducationBehavioural
A single individual education session of 10 to 15 minutes delivered in Arabic by the principal investigator immediately after baseline assessment, covering the importance of toothbrushing, recommended frequency and timing, use of fluoridated toothpaste, proper brushing technique, parental assistance and supervision, and toothbrush selection and maintenance, supported by standardized visual materials.
Arms: Both arms
WhatsApp-Based Oral Health MessagesBehavioural
Sixteen oral health messages delivered individually via WhatsApp in Arabic, two per week for eight weeks, reinforcing the toothbrushing content of the education session. Messages may include text, images, or short videos from evidence-based sources including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association, and are reviewed by a pediatric dentist before delivery.
Arms: Experimental arm only
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Health Education Plus WhatsApp Messages | Experimental | Participants receive a single standardized face-to-face oral health education session and, in addition, WhatsApp-based oral health messages delivered twice weekly for eight weeks (16 messages total) reinforcing toothbrushing recommendations.
Assigned interventions: Behavioral: Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education; Behavioral: WhatsApp-Based Oral Health Messages Receives: Behavioral: Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education; Behavioral: WhatsApp-Based Oral Health Messages |
| Oral Health Education Alone | Active comparator | Participants receive the same single standardized face-to-face oral health education session and no additional oral health education or messages during the eight-week study period.
Assigned intervention: Behavioral: Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education Receives: Behavioral: Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Maternal oral health knowledge score
Maternal knowledge of toothbrushing-related oral health recommendations, measured by an eight-item multiple-choice questionnaire covering timing of toothbrushing, initiation of toothbrushing, parental positioning during brushing, fluoride toothpaste use, recommended fluoride concentration, parental supervision, consequences of inadequate toothbrushing, and toothbrush selection. Each correct answer scores 1 point; incorrect and "I do not know" answers score 0. Total score ranges from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating greater oral health knowledge.
Measured: Baseline and 8 weeks after the education session
Child toothbrushing behavior score (maternal report)
Toothbrushing behavior of the designated study child as reported by the mother, measured by an eight-item questionnaire covering brushing frequency, fluoride toothpaste use, amount of toothpaste, parental involvement during brushing, brushing of all tooth surfaces, brushing duration, toothbrush replacement practices, and post-brushing behavior. Responses consistent with current evidence-based recommendations score 1 point and all other responses score 0. Total score ranges from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating more favorable toothbrushing practices. Children reported as not brushing are assigned a score of 0.
Measured: Baseline and 8 weeks after the education session
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Aug 2026
- Study start30 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Aug 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Oral HealthStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- Two-arm parallel-group trial with 1:1 allocation; all participants receive face-to-face oral health education, and the intervention arm additionally receives WhatsApp messages for eight weeks.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 106 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- King Abdulaziz University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, MONA RAJEH, King Abdulaziz University
- Investigators
- MONA Talal RAJEH, PhD, Principal investigator, King Abdulaziz University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07765654
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 96-05-26
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 11 Aug 2026
- Last updated
- 18 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared publicly. De-identified data may be made available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Effectiveness of WhatsApp-Based Messages as an Adjunct to Oral Health Education on Maternal Oral Health Knowledge and Child Toothbrushing Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Trial
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07765654
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 96-05-26
- Keywords
- WhatsApp, mHealth, Mobile Health, Toothbrushing, Preschool Children, Maternal Knowledge, Oral Health Education, Health Promotion
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 106 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- King Abdulaziz UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 30 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 30 Apr 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Aug 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Aug 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Tooth decay is one of the most common health problems in young children in Saudi Arabia. Brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste is one of the most effective ways to prevent it, but preschool children cannot do this properly on their own and depend on their mothers to brush for them and to supervise them. Mothers usually receive oral health advice only once, during a dental visit, and a single session may not be enough to change daily habits at home.
This study will test whether short oral health messages sent to mothers on WhatsApp, in addition to the usual face-to-face advice, help mothers know more about toothbrushing and help their children brush better.
Mothers of children aged 3 to 6 years attending the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah will be invited to take part. All mothers will first answer a short questionnaire about what they know about toothbrushing and how their child currently brushes. All mothers will then receive the same 10 to 15 minute face-to-face oral health education session. After the session, each mother will be placed into one of two groups by chance, like flipping a coin. Mothers in the first group will also receive two WhatsApp messages a week for eight weeks, sixteen messages in total, covering how often to brush, how much fluoride toothpaste to use, correct brushing technique, and how to help and supervise their child. Mothers in the second group will not receive these messages.
After eight weeks, all mothers will answer the same questionnaire again, and the answers of the two groups will be compared. Taking part involves no dental treatment or procedures beyond the child's normal care, and mothers may withdraw at any time.
Detailed description
This is an open-label, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial with 1:1 allocation, conducted at the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics of King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mothers of children aged 3 to 6 years will be approached in the clinic waiting area. After electronic informed consent, participants will complete a baseline self-administered questionnaire delivered through Google Forms on their own smartphones, covering demographic characteristics, maternal oral health knowledge, and child toothbrushing behavior. All participants will then receive a standardized 10 to 15 minute individual face-to-face oral health education session delivered in Arabic by the principal investigator, using visual materials from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the Saudi Ministry of Health.
Randomization will follow the baseline questionnaire and education session. A computer-generated block randomization sequence with varying block sizes of 4, 6, and 8 will be prepared in advance by an independent person not involved in recruitment or data collection, and concealed in sequentially numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes opened only after baseline assessment and education are complete.
Participants allocated to the intervention arm will additionally receive individually delivered WhatsApp messages twice weekly for eight weeks, sixteen messages in total, reinforcing the same toothbrushing content covered in the education session. Messages will be delivered in Arabic and may include text, images, or short videos drawn from evidence-based sources; all content will be reviewed by a pediatric dentist before delivery. Participants allocated to the control arm will receive the face-to-face education session only, with no further contact during the intervention period.
At eight weeks, all participants will be invited by WhatsApp to complete the same questionnaire through a secure Google Forms link, omitting the demographic and eligibility sections. Non-responders will receive up to three reminders at 3 to 5 days, 7 to 10 days, and 14 days after the initial invitation, after which they will be classified as lost to follow-up.
Blinding of participants and of the investigator is not feasible given the nature of the intervention, so the trial is open-label. Analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle and will use analysis of covariance comparing eight-week scores between arms with the corresponding baseline score as covariate; results will be reported as adjusted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Missing follow-up data will be handled by multiple imputation under a missing-at-random assumption, with estimates pooled using Rubin's rules.
The target sample size of 106 participants, 53 per arm, was derived for ANCOVA with alpha of 0.05, power of 0.80, effect size f of 0.31, and one covariate, giving 42 per arm before inflation for 20 percent anticipated attrition.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- Two-arm parallel-group trial with 1:1 allocation; all participants receive face-to-face oral health education, and the intervention arm additionally receives WhatsApp messages for eight weeks.
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Health Education Plus WhatsApp Messages | Experimental | Behavioral: Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education, Behavioral: WhatsApp-Based Oral Health MessagesParticipants receive a single standardized face-to-face oral health education session and, in addition, WhatsApp-based oral health messages delivered twice weekly for eight weeks (16 messages total) reinforcing toothbrushing recommendations. Assigned interventions: Behavioral: Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education; Behavioral: WhatsApp-Based Oral Health Messages |
| Oral Health Education Alone | Active comparator | Behavioral: Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health EducationParticipants receive the same single standardized face-to-face oral health education session and no additional oral health education or messages during the eight-week study period. Assigned intervention: Behavioral: Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Mother of at least one child aged 3 to 6 years
- Aged 18 years or older
- Able to read and understand Arabic
- Owns a smartphone with an active WhatsApp account
- Attending the Pediatric Dentistry Clinics at King Abdulaziz University Hospital at the time of recruitment
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Dental professional or dental student
- Currently participating in another oral health education program targeting child oral health or toothbrushing practices
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health EducationA single individual education session of 10 to 15 minutes delivered in Arabic by the principal investigator immediately after baseline assessment, covering the importance of toothbrushing, recommended frequency and timing, use of fluoridated toothpaste, proper brushing technique, parental assistance and supervision, and toothbrush selection and maintenance, supported by standardized visual materials. Arms: Both arms | Behavioural | Oral Health Education Alone, Oral Health Education Plus WhatsApp Messages |
| WhatsApp-Based Oral Health MessagesSixteen oral health messages delivered individually via WhatsApp in Arabic, two per week for eight weeks, reinforcing the toothbrushing content of the education session. Messages may include text, images, or short videos from evidence-based sources including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association, and are reviewed by a pediatric dentist before delivery. Arms: Experimental arm only | Behavioural | Oral Health Education Plus WhatsApp Messages |
Primary outcome
Maternal oral health knowledge score
Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks after the education session
Maternal knowledge of toothbrushing-related oral health recommendations, measured by an eight-item multiple-choice questionnaire covering timing of toothbrushing, initiation of toothbrushing, parental positioning during brushing, fluoride toothpaste use, recommended fluoride concentration, parental supervision, consequences of inadequate toothbrushing, and toothbrush selection. Each correct answer scores 1 point; incorrect and "I do not know" answers score 0. Total score ranges from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating greater oral health knowledge.
Child toothbrushing behavior score (maternal report)
Time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks after the education session
Toothbrushing behavior of the designated study child as reported by the mother, measured by an eight-item questionnaire covering brushing frequency, fluoride toothpaste use, amount of toothpaste, parental involvement during brushing, brushing of all tooth surfaces, brushing duration, toothbrush replacement practices, and post-brushing behavior. Responses consistent with current evidence-based recommendations score 1 point and all other responses score 0. Total score ranges from 0 to 8, with higher scores indicating more favorable toothbrushing practices. Children reported as not brushing are assigned a score of 0.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. Individual participant data will not be shared publicly. De-identified data may be made available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
MONA Talal RAJEH, PhD principal investigator
King Abdulaziz University
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Standardized Face-to-Face Oral Health Education and WhatsApp-Based Oral Health Messages in people with Oral Health and Dental Caries, run by King Abdulaziz University.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Aug 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Mona Talal Rajeh, PhD (+966502500888, mtrajeh@kau.edu.sa), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Maternal oral health knowledge score (time frame: Baseline and 8 weeks after the education session). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Aug 2026.