This clinical study aims to compare the effect of motivational interviewing (MI) and traditional patient education methods in improving oral hygiene (plaque score and bleeding score) among young children aged 8-10. The study is a randomized clinical trial that will be conducted among healthy pediatric patients attending the pediatric dentistry clinics at the University of Jordan Hospital.
Patients who meet the inclusion criteria and give consent will be randomly assigned to three groups:
1. Verbal and written instructions group: Basic oral hygiene instruction will be given to this group on a model of the mouth and then supported by written instructions.
2. Video monitored (VIDEO) group: Uploaded from the National Health Service (NHS) website and translated to the patient's mother tongue (Arabic).
3. Motivational interviewing (MI) group: The participants will join the motivation sessions one-to-one, face-to-face, with the primary researcher, who will be trained and calibrated to provide MI and take sessions with qualified psychologists.
Oral hygiene will be assessed using two parameters:
Plaque index scoring: 0/1 Bleeding on probing score: 0/1 Each patient will be examined twice: the first time is before the intervention, and the second is after a follow-up period of 1 month.
The study will also investigate the influence of age, sex, and socioeconomic status on oral hygiene improvement.
The findings of this research aim to contribute to the growing body of literature on MI and inform public health strategies aimed at reducing the global burden of childhood dental diseases.
