Using Augmented Reality to Motivate Oral Hygiene Practice in Children: Protocol for the Development of a Serious Game

BACKGROUND: New technologies create possible new ways of action, interaction, and learning which is extremely relevant in the field of oral health education. There is a lack of protocol in using an immersive interactive ludic-educational interface to motivate oral hygiene practice in children by means of augmented reality. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to present a protocol on the development of a serious game to motivate oral hygiene practice in children. METHODS: A serious game will be designed by augmented reality techniques to improve toothbrushing effectiveness of children aged 6 to 10 years. The functional structure of this interface is activated by means of movements recognized by Kinect (Microsoft Corp). The toothbrushing technique will be available in the game, enabling the children to execute the movement in the virtual environment. By identifying errors, this game will be tailored to improve the oral health of children by correcting the technique and teaching the user the adequate toothbrushing method. A template analysis will be performed to identify barriers and facilitators in each scenario. RESULTS: After the implementation of the virtual interactive and immersive panels, enrollment will begin and evaluations will be made by means of questionnaires distributed to participants who interact with the game. Thus, an analysis of the product efficacy will be conducted. The expected outcome will be to obtain a digital instrument to motivate oral hygiene practice and enhance health awareness in children. CONCLUSIONS: The serious game will support the prevention of oral diseases by sharing scientific research in the school environment and community. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/10987