Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39443262›Full record

Trial reportInternational dental journal2025

Impact of Oral Health Chatbot With and Without Toothbrushing Training on Childhood Caries.

Jaranya Hunsrisakhun, Supawadee Naorungroj, Watcharawalee Tangkuptanon, Pissamai Wattanasit, Kittiwara Pupong, Samerchit Pithpornchaiyakul

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in International dental journal, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Review
  6. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

6 authors.

Jaranya HunsrisakhunImprovement of Oral Health Care Research Unit, Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
Supawadee NaorungrojDepartment of Conservative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
Watcharawalee TangkuptanonFaculty of Engineering, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
Pissamai WattanasitFaculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand.
Kittiwara PupongMaelan Hospital, Maelan, Pattani, Thailand.
Samerchit PithpornchaiyakulImprovement of Oral Health Care Research Unit, Department of Preventive Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla, Thailand. Electronic address: samerchit.p@psu.ac.th.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesStandalone oral health chatbots targeting young children's oral health are rare. The aim of this research was to compare the effectiveness of a standalone chatbot and a combination chatbot with in-person toothbrushing training for caregivers in improving young children's oral health.

methodsA randomised, parallel, 2-group pretest-posttest design was employed with 320 caregiver-child pairs (aged 6-42 months). Group I (160 pairs) used the 21-Day FunDee (modified) chatbot along with in-person toothbrushing training, whilst Group II (160 pairs) used only the 21-Day FunDee Plus chatbot. Oral examination assessed plaque levels and caries, whilst a self-administered questionnaire evaluated oral hygiene care, dietary practices, and oral health perceptions based on the protection motivation theory (PMT). Data were analysed using 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance, a t test, and chi-square measures for group comparisons.

resultsThe majority of caregivers were Muslim mothers. No significant differences were observed between groups at the baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups in mean dmft (Group I: 4.16, 4.64, and 5.30 vs Group II: 4.30, 5.54, and 5.82), mean plaque scores (Group I: 0.72, 0.53, and 0.55 vs Group II (0.84, 0.52, and 0.59), and most dietary habits. However, significant improvements were found within groups from baseline to follow-ups in plaque reduction, toothbrushing practices, overall knowledge score, PMT perceptions, proper tooth brushing, fluoride toothpaste usage, and dietary behaviours (frequency of bottle feeding, frequency of nocturnal bottle feeding, proportion of children who went to bed without consuming anything after cleaning their teeth before bedtime). The significant differences between groups were found in self-efficacy at all time points, but only at the 6-month evaluation for percentage of fluoride toothpaste and overall PMT perceptions.

conclusionsBoth interventions were comparable in preventing caries, reducing plaque, improving feeding practices, increasing parental involvement in tooth brushing, and enhancing knowledge. The standalone chatbot 21-Day FunDee Plus presents a viable alternative for promoting oral health in young children.

Indexed as

Dental CariesHealth Education, DentalOral HealthToothbrushingAdultCaregiversChild, PreschoolDental PlaqueDental Plaque IndexDMF IndexFemaleFollow-Up StudiesGenerative Artificial IntelligenceHealth Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeHumansInfantCariesChatbotChildrenOral health behaviourPlaqueTooth brushing

Identifiers

PMID39443262
PMCPMC11976539

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

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 Socratic graph.