title: Effect of Reinforcement of Oral Health Education Message through Short Messaging Service in Mobile Phones: A Quasi-Experimental Trial.
abstract: Objective. This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of reinforcement of oral health education message through short messaging service (SMS) in mobile phones. Material and Methods. 400 subjects from two colleges (200 from each college) belonging to 18-20 years age group possessing mobile phones were randomly selected and baseline examination of oral hygiene and gingival status was carried out using Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) and Gingival Index (GI). Oral health education was provided to all the subjects. Oral health education message was reinforced through short messaging service (SMS) in mobile phones for the subjects belonging to the intervention group. There was no such reinforcement for the control group. Follow-up examinations were done at the end of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th month. After the 3rd month, subjects of the intervention group did not receive oral health education message through short messaging service (SMS) and were followed up after next three months. Compiled data was analyzed using SPSS version 16 statistical software. Result. Mean OHI and GI scores in intervention group were significantly (p < 0.01) less than those of control group after the 2nd, 3rd, and 6th month. Conclusion. Reinforcement of oral health education message through short messaging service (SMS) is effective media to improve oral health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, JMF's ACPM Dental College, Dhule, Maharashtra 424001, India.
authors.forename: Harish C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Jadhav
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, JMF's ACPM Dental College, Dhule, Maharashtra 424001, India.
authors.forename: Arun S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Dodamani
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, JMF's ACPM Dental College, Dhule, Maharashtra 424001, India.
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Karibasappa
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Dr. Hedgewar Smruti Rugna Seva Mandal's Dental College, Hingoli, Maharashtra 431513, India.
authors.forename: Rahul G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Bharati Vidyapeeth Dental College and Hospital, Sangli, Maharashtra 416416, India.
authors.forename: Mahesh R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Khairnar
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, Swargiya Dadasaheb Kalmegh Smruti Dental College, Nagpur, Maharashtra 441110, India.
authors.forename: Manjiri A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Deshmukh
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Dentistry, JMF's ACPM Dental College, Dhule, Maharashtra 424001, India.
authors.forename: Prashanth
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vishwakarma