Effectiveness of Medical Coaching in Enhancing Periodontal Health and Lifestyle (MCOH)

Effectiveness of Medical Coaching in Enhancing Periodontal Health and Lifestyle: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that adversely influences the supporting tissues of the teeth. It is primarily characterized by the accumulation of bacterial plaque and the host immune response. Traditional periodontal therapy emphasizes the central roles of both oral hygiene education and risk factor management; however, maintaining a long-term optimal behavioral compliance remains challenging.

The purpose of this Randomized Controlled Trial is to assess how effective is Medical Coaching on Oral Health (MCOH) in improving plaque control (PCR) and gingival health (GBI) in patients with periodontitis after one month, in comparison to traditional oral hygiene instructions (OHI).

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Periodontitis
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Medical couching and traditional

Detailed Description

The baseline assessments included periodontal status, PCR, GBI (describe the achronym) and a systematic questionnaire on lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol, food, exercise, sleep, and stress). The intervention group received tailored MCOH sessions that comprised goal-setting, emotional hurdle assessment and action planning, whereas the control group received conventional OHI.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 64
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Bari, Italy, 70124
    • Anna Antonacci

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Periodontitis Patients

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who do not wish to participate in the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Sequential Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Medical Couching; MCOH group (n=32) . The baseline assessments included periodontal status, PCR, GBI (describe the achronym) and a systematic questionnaire on lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol, food, exercise, sleep, and stress). The intervention group received tailored MCOH sessions that comprised goal-setting, emotional hurdle assessment and action planning, whereas the control group received conventional OHI.	Other: Medical couching and traditional; The control group received traditional OHI using the tell-show-do method, which was personalized based on the individual PCR and GBI. The recommendations were tailored to each participant, based on personalized instructions to improve plaque control, decrease of gingival inflammation and facilitate optimal patient compliance, contributing to oral hygiene performance. The intervention group was actively engaged in an iterative, collaborative process, based on the following steps: Definition of the goals of oral hygiene and lifestyle styles according to the SMART model (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely):
Other: control group; Control group (n=32.)Control group received traditional OHI using the tell-show-do method, which was personalized based on the individual PCR and GBI. The recommendations were tailored to each participant, based on personalized instructions to improve plaque control, decrease of gingival inflammation and facilitate optimal patient compliance, contributing to oral hygiene performance.	Other: Medical couching and traditional; The control group received traditional OHI using the tell-show-do method, which was personalized based on the individual PCR and GBI. The recommendations were tailored to each participant, based on personalized instructions to improve plaque control, decrease of gingival inflammation and facilitate optimal patient compliance, contributing to oral hygiene performance. The intervention group was actively engaged in an iterative, collaborative process, based on the following steps: Definition of the goals of oral hygiene and lifestyle styles according to the SMART model (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely):

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Plaque Control Record (PCR) .	The percentage value was calculated as follows: Number of surfaces with plaque / Total number of surfaces examined × 100. The lower the percentage, the better the plaque control; the higher the percentage, the worse the oral hygiene.	30 days
Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI)	The calculation to the GBI was as follows: number of bleeding sites/number of evaluated sites ×100. obtain the percentage value was as follows: number of bleeding sites/number of evaluated sites ×100	30 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Bari Aldo Moro
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Giuseppe D'Albis Dr, DDS, University of Bari Aldo Moro

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): March 15, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 19, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 19, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 25, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 20, 2025
• Last Verified: March 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Stress; Periodontitis; gingival health; Medical Coaching
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Periodontal Diseases; Mouth Diseases; Stomatognathic Diseases; Periodontitis
• Other Study ID Numbers: Medical Coaching in Perio

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No