Effectiveness of Individually Trained Oral Prophylaxis (iTOP) Education on Long-Term Oral Health in Medical and Dental Students: A Two-Year Prospective Cohort Study.

Background/Objectives: Preventive oral health education plays a key role in preparing future healthcare professionals to promote and maintain good oral hygiene. Individually Trained Oral Prophylaxis (iTOP) is a structured, personalized educational program that emphasizes correct brushing techniques and interdental cleaning. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of a single-session iTOP intervention on clinical oral health outcomes among medical and dental students. Methods: A 2-year prospective cohort study included 82 first- and fourth-year medical and dental students at the University of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The researchers randomly assigned participants to an iTOP intervention group or a control group. The primary analysis used multivariable linear mixed-effects models for repeated measures, adjusted for study program, academic year, smoking status, and baseline oral-hygiene habits, with effect sizes reported alongside 95% confidence intervals. Clinical periodontal parameters-plaque index, bleeding on probing, and probing depth-were assessed at baseline, three months, and two years. All participants received professional cleaning and oral hygiene kits. Only the intervention group received personalized iTOP training, consisting of a single session with brief reinforcement at the 3-month follow-up. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07085013). Results: Seventy-six students completed the follow-up. The iTOP group had significantly lower plaque index and bleeding scores at both follow-up points (p < 0.001) compared to the control group. Baseline differences were observed between subgroups (medical vs. dental; younger vs. older students), but these diminished over time. At the 2-year follow-up, only the plaque index remained significantly improved, while other clinical parameters returned to values comparable to baseline. Conclusions: The iTOP program resulted in significant short-term improvements in oral health among medical and dental students. For sustained long-term outcomes, iTOP or similar structured oral health education programs should be integrated into medical and dental curricula. Enhancing oral health awareness among healthcare providers may ultimately contribute to improved public oral health outcomes. Given the single-center design and the single-session nature of the intervention, the results should be interpreted with caution.