IADR Abstract Archives
Online resources provision and wisdom teeth extractions: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Objectives: To identify whether providing third molar (TMs) patients with online resources has an effect on: (1) Participation in shared decision-making (SDM); (2) TMs knowledge, dental anxiety, clinicians’ satisfaction, count of TMs referred for extractions.
Methods: Equal arm, parallel groups randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants were community TMs patients aged 18 years and over, with internet access. Study group participants received pre-consultation high quality online resources based on a previous study. Participation in SDM was measured after consultation using the dyadic SDM-9Q: SDM-9Q-Pt for patients and SDM-9Q-Doc for doctors. TMs knowledge and the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C) were collected before consultation. Clinicians’ satisfaction with patients’ knowledge, consultation time and count of TMs decided on extraction were collected during consultation.
Results: 174 responses were received, with 120 participants determined eligible for randomization. No significant differences were observed in the baseline characteristics between groups. At TMs consultation, n=37 (61%) of the study group and n=35 (58%) of the control group were followed-up at consultation. TMs knowledge was associated with SDM-9Q-Pt (B=1.77, 95% CI: .04, 3.42, P=.045) and SDM-9Q-Doc (B=1.26, 95% CI: .16, 2.36, P=.028). The intervention did not improve TMs knowledge (t(68) =-.32, P=.753, η2=.0018). This resulted in no difference in SDM-9Q-Pt (t(64) =1.76, P=.083, η2=.046) and SDM-9Q-Doc (t(75) =-.78, P=.436, η2=.008). The IDAF-4C scores were significantly higher than Australian norms (mean=17.00, SD=9.01, 95% CI: 16.17, 20.46). The intervention did not increase the IDAF-4C scores (t(68) =-.32, P=.753, η2=.003). No differences were observed in clinicians’ satisfaction with consultation time, patients’ knowledge and the count of TMs identified for extraction.
Conclusions: Patients’ knowledge is a significant domain for participation in TMs decision-making. The intervention provided did not improve participants’ TMs knowledge and therefore, no change was observed on the specified outcome. Clinicians might need to consider the high levels of dental anxiety among TM patients.
Methods: Equal arm, parallel groups randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants were community TMs patients aged 18 years and over, with internet access. Study group participants received pre-consultation high quality online resources based on a previous study. Participation in SDM was measured after consultation using the dyadic SDM-9Q: SDM-9Q-Pt for patients and SDM-9Q-Doc for doctors. TMs knowledge and the Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-4C) were collected before consultation. Clinicians’ satisfaction with patients’ knowledge, consultation time and count of TMs decided on extraction were collected during consultation.
Results: 174 responses were received, with 120 participants determined eligible for randomization. No significant differences were observed in the baseline characteristics between groups. At TMs consultation, n=37 (61%) of the study group and n=35 (58%) of the control group were followed-up at consultation. TMs knowledge was associated with SDM-9Q-Pt (B=1.77, 95% CI: .04, 3.42, P=.045) and SDM-9Q-Doc (B=1.26, 95% CI: .16, 2.36, P=.028). The intervention did not improve TMs knowledge (t(68) =-.32, P=.753, η2=.0018). This resulted in no difference in SDM-9Q-Pt (t(64) =1.76, P=.083, η2=.046) and SDM-9Q-Doc (t(75) =-.78, P=.436, η2=.008). The IDAF-4C scores were significantly higher than Australian norms (mean=17.00, SD=9.01, 95% CI: 16.17, 20.46). The intervention did not increase the IDAF-4C scores (t(68) =-.32, P=.753, η2=.003). No differences were observed in clinicians’ satisfaction with consultation time, patients’ knowledge and the count of TMs identified for extraction.
Conclusions: Patients’ knowledge is a significant domain for participation in TMs decision-making. The intervention provided did not improve participants’ TMs knowledge and therefore, no change was observed on the specified outcome. Clinicians might need to consider the high levels of dental anxiety among TM patients.