Accepted for/Published in: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: May 28, 2025
Date Accepted: Aug 30, 2025
Effects of Mobile-Based AI-Enhanced Health Counseling on Protection Motivation, Self-Care Behaviors, and Periodontal Treatment Outcomes in Patients with Periodontitis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Protection motivation is essential for enhancing the commitment of patients with periodontitis to oral hygiene.
Objective:
This study evaluated the effects of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted dental monitoring on protection motivation, behavioral change, and periodontal treatment in these patients.
Methods:
Patients with periodontitis were randomly assigned to an AI group (n = 32), an AI-assisted health counseling group (n = 33), or a control group (n = 33). All received nonsurgical periodontal treatment and oral hygiene instruction. The AI and AI-assisted health counseling groups also underwent AI monitoring and counseling for 3 months. Data on protection motivation (threat appraisal, coping appraisal), self-care behavior, plaque control records (PCR), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were collected at baseline and follow-ups. A mixed-design model analyzed the follow-up effects over time. An intention-to-treat analysis was used to analyze and compare groups.
Results:
At the 3-month follow-up, the AI and AI-assisted health counseling groups exhibited significantly greater improvements in PPD and CAL. At the 6-month follow-up, the AI and AI-assisted health counseling groups also exhibited significantly greater improvements in coping appraisal (β = 0.09 and 0.11), self-care behavior (β = 0.97 and 1.03), and PCR (β = -13.28 and -23.22) than the control group did. However, no significant differences were observed between the AI and AI-assisted health counseling groups.
Conclusions:
AI, with or without personalized counseling, can improve coping appraisal, self-care behaviors, dental plaque control, and periodontal treatment outcomes. Using AI monitoring alone can serve as a useful tool to enhance periodontal treatment outcomes in clinical practice. Implementing AI in clinical settings empowers patients to actively engage in their oral hygiene, ultimately improving periodontal health. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06083649
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