Effectiveness of Phone Call Follow-Ups in Improving Patient Compliance to Post-extraction Instructions: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Dental extraction is a commonly performed oral surgical procedure. The manner in which post-extraction instructions are given to patients may impact their understanding and adherence to instructions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of phone call follow-ups over conventional verbal and written post-extraction instructions in terms of patient compliance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Methodology After obtaining informed consent, patients undergoing dental extraction at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery were randomly enrolled into one of the three groups based on the mode by which post-extraction instructions were administered. Group A received verbal and written instructions only, and Group B and Group C received additional phone call follow-up on the first postoperative day and the first and third postoperative days, respectively. After seven days, all patients answered a questionnaire to quantify the level of compliance on a score out of 10, which was the outcome variable. The nature of receiving post-extraction instruction was the primary predictor variable. Age, gender, and type of extraction (surgical or non-surgical) were secondary predictors. Descriptive statistical analysis and statistical comparison of mean compliance scores between the groups and the effect of interaction between primary and secondary predictors on the outcome variable were carried out at a 95% significance level (p < 0.05). Results A total of 135 patients (75 males and 60 females; mean age = 36.2 years) were included in the study. While the overall mean compliance score was 8.36 ± 1.08, Group C (9.14 ± 0.78, n = 42) had a significantly higher level of compliance than Group B (8.48 ± 1.01, n = 40) and Group A (7.64 ± 0.83, n = 53) (one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) F = 34.937; p < 0.001). Similarly, the level of compliance in Group B was significantly higher than that in Group A (p < 0.01). There was no significant statistical relationship between the secondary predictors and the compliance scores. Similarly, two-way ANOVA revealed no statistically significant effect of interaction between the primary and secondary predictor variables on the compliance scores. Individually, the least complied instruction, across all groups, was “rinsing with saline once every six hours for four days,” and “biting on a gauze pack for 30 minutes” was the most complied instruction. Conclusions Phone call follow-up after teeth extraction improves patient compliance with post-extraction instructions through reinforcement and education. While a single phone call follow-up one day after extraction along with verbal and written instructions increased patient compliance significantly, a second phone call follow-up on the third postoperative day yielded the best level of compliance.