Discussion
teeth movements, orthodontic
PLAQUE
Objective wear time of both groups demonstrated sub-optimal compliance with instructed wear time. The utilization of audiovisual instructions has shown a statistically significant positive effect on improving adherence with the recommended wear time in comparison to delivering verbal instructions only after 6 months. Nonetheless, periodontal outcomes did not differ between both groups. Participants’ experiences were similar in both groups, except for satisfaction with the way of delivering instructions, being favorably perceived by patients receiving the additional audiovisual instructions and weekly reminders.The assigned audiovisual instructional videos were chosen to promote the need to wear the retainer and were supplemented with weekly reminder messages on the WeChat application. A significant positive effect of the used protocol on compliance with retainer wear after six months was observed. This goes in line with results from previous literature, which did show an improvement in information retentionThe delivered audiovisual videos additionally focused on oral health promotion. Results have generally shown a non-significant difference between the groups after 6 months. Both groups had a significant improvement in oral health readings over time, except for the plaque scores in the control group. This is consistent with previous literature which has shown that significant deterioration in oral health occurred at the end of orthodontic treatment, which gradually improved after debondingParticipants’ experiences were more or less similar in both groups, except for satisfaction with the way of delivering instructions, being favorably perceived in the audiovisual group as recorded via the questionnaire. The administered questionnaire was developed depending on the perspectives of the National Health Service, which depend on questions that reflect patient satisfaction with the Hawley retainer, and the impact of clinical methods of communication and their results. Questionnaires were given to each participant after 6 months of observation to reflect their perspectives after a period under retention. Results demonstrate the benefit of the multimodal approach in delivering clear information in comparison to the usual methodsThe choice of the retainer type and retention protocol is still debatable in literature. In some practices, Hawley retainers are still preferred for their known advantages in occlusal settling, and their capacity to have incorporated modifications for simple teeth movements during retention. However, they are often associated with temporary speech changes and less desirable aesthetics due to the metal labial bow. In this trial, we aimed to reflect what aligns with traditionally known clinical practicesEffective communication and compliance are integral parts of successful treatment. Understanding effective ways of delivering information helps in the establishment of an effective rapport with clinicians. The information provision process must ensure that the patient receives, understands, and retains the information over long periods. The use of multimodal approaches by mixing the auditory and visual senses helps to retain information for a longer durationDigitized methods of communication and monitoring have recently accelerated the transformation toward the use of digital information and communication technologies