Effectiveness of Telephonic and Digital Postoperative Follow-up Communication Strategies on Patient Compliance, Clinical Recovery, and Oral Health-related Quality of Life Following Dental Extraction
(CONNECT Study - CONtinuous post-operative NETwork Communication to Enhance Compliance after Tooth Extraction)
Tooth extraction is one of the most commonly performed dental procedures. Although most patients recover uneventfully, complications such as pain, swelling, bleeding, infection, and dry socket may occur if postoperative instructions are not followed correctly. Dentists routinely provide verbal and written instructions after tooth extraction; however, patients may forget or misunderstand these instructions once they leave the clinic, resulting in reduced compliance and delayed recovery.
Previous research conducted at our institution demonstrated that postoperative telephone follow-up improved patient compliance with post-extraction instructions compared with routine verbal and written instructions alone. Building on these findings, the present study aims to evaluate whether different methods of postoperative communication-including telephone calls, digital messaging, and a combination of both-can further improve patient compliance and clinical recovery following dental extraction.
Participants undergoing routine dental extraction will receive the standard postoperative verbal and written instructions provided by the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Depending on the assigned study group, participants may also receive structured telephone follow-up, digital communication via a secure messaging platform, or both during the early postoperative period. The information provided through these communication methods will reinforce the same postoperative instructions routinely given in the clinic and will not alter the clinical treatment received.
Participants will be followed for one week after the extraction. Information will be collected regarding their adherence to postoperative instructions, pain levels, occurrence of complications such as dry socket, and oral health-related quality of life using validated questionnaires. These assessments will help determine whether additional postoperative communication improves patient recovery and overall treatment outcomes.
The study involves minimal risk because the communication methods are intended only to reinforce standard postoperative care and provide patients with an opportunity to clarify any concerns they may have during recovery. Participation in the study is entirely voluntary, and patients may withdraw at any time without affecting the quality of their dental treatment.
The findings of this study are expected to provide evidence on the most effective postoperative communication strategy following dental extraction. This may help improve patient education, enhance compliance with postoperative instructions, reduce preventable complications, and support the integration of digital communication technologies into routine dental practice.
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Parallel
Telephonic Postoperative Follow-up
BehavioralTelephonic postoperative follow-up consists of structured telephone calls delivered by trained study personnel during the first postoperative week following dental extraction. Calls reinforce routine postoperative instructions, assess patient understanding, encourage adherence to medications and self-care recommendations, address common postoperative concerns such as pain or bleeding, and provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions regarding their recovery. A standardized communication script will be used to ensure consistency across participants.
Digital Postoperative Follow-up
BehavioralDigital postoperative follow-up consists of structured communication delivered through a secure mobile messaging platform during the first postoperative week following dental extraction. Participants will receive standardized reminder messages, educational infographics, and short instructional videos that reinforce routine postoperative instructions on medication adherence, oral hygiene, diet, saline mouth rinses, smoking avoidance, and management of common postoperative symptoms. Digital communication will follow a predefined schedule and standardized content to ensure uniformity across participants.
Standard Postoperative Care
BehavioralStandard postoperative care consists of routine verbal instructions provided immediately after dental extraction, along with a standardized written instruction sheet. The instructions include guidance on bleeding control, medication adherence, oral hygiene, dietary recommendations, saline mouth rinses, smoking avoidance, and measures to promote uncomplicated healing. No additional structured telephonic or digital follow-up communication is provided beyond the routine postoperative review.
Patient compliance with postoperative instructions
Patient compliance will be assessed using a structured postoperative compliance questionnaire evaluating adherence to standardized post-extraction instructions, including medication use, oral hygiene, saline mouth rinses, dietary recommendations, smoking avoidance, and clot protection. The total compliance score will be compared between the study groups.
Postoperative pain intensity
Postoperative pain will be measured using a 10-cm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), where 0 represents no pain and 10 represents the worst imaginable pain.
Incidence of alveolar osteitis (dry socket)
The occurrence of alveolar osteitis will be assessed clinically using standardized diagnostic criteria, including increasing postoperative pain associated with partial or complete loss of the blood clot requiring clinical management.
Oral health-related quality of life
Oral health-related quality of life will be assessed using the validated Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire. Changes in OHIP-14 scores from baseline will be compared among the study groups.
Patient satisfaction with postoperative communication
Participant satisfaction with the postoperative communication strategy will be evaluated using a structured questionnaire incorporating a five-point Likert scale assessing clarity of instructions, ease of communication, confidence during recovery, and overall satisfaction.
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