Theory-based educational intervention on oral hygiene behavior among university students: a randomized controlled trial.

Rieski Prihastuti, Daisuke Hinode, Makoto Fukui, Omar M M Rodis, Yoshizo Matsuka

Abstract read

In one paragraph

Article in BDJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in

1citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

Measuring Digital Oral Health Literacy in the Social Media Era: Psychometric Validation of the Romanian Version of the Social Media Oral Health Literacy Questionnaire (SMOHLQ).Dentistry journal · 2026
Article

4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Rieski PrihastutiDepartment of Stomatognathic Function and Occlusal Reconstruction, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6095-950X

Daisuke HinodeDepartment of Hygiene and Oral Health Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan. hinode@tokushima-u.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2202-5538

Makoto FukuiDepartment of Hygiene and Oral Health Science, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan.

Omar M M RodisDepartment of International Oral Health Science Education, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan.

Yoshizo MatsukaDepartment of Stomatognathic Function and Occlusal Reconstruction, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University, Tokushima, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1069-2605

Funding

MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) JP23K09481

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe objective was to assess the effectiveness of the theory-based educational intervention tailored to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and behavior change techniques (BCTs) on oral hygiene behavior among university students through the oral hygiene behavior index and oral health outcomes. MATERIALS AND

methodsA randomized controlled trial involving university students was conducted from November 2022 to March 2023 (n = 71). Participants were randomly assigned to a control group (n = 38) or an intervention group (n = 33). The control group received conventional dental health education, whereas the intervention group underwent a 21-day TPB-based educational intervention delivered through a three-minute video. Oral hygiene behavior index (OHBI) and oral health outcomes, including caries activity, salivary hemoglobin level, and total bacterial count, were assessed at baseline and three-month post-intervention.

resultsStatistically significant improvements were seen in the OHBI score between groups and within the intervention group at three-month follow-up, with higher scores indicating better oral hygiene behavior. In addition, caries activity and salivary hemoglobin level were also improved. The total bacterial count in the intervention group did not show any statistically significant difference, even though it was lower than that of the control group.

conclusionThis study indicates that theory-based educational intervention tailored to TPB and BCTs improves oral hygiene behavior and certain oral health outcomes. Future studies should examine the long-term effects and generalizability in diverse populations.

trial registrationThailand Clinical Trial TCTR20230105003.

Identifiers

PMID41006243

DOI10.1038/s41405-025-00368-y

PMCPMC12475263

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.