Mobile App-Based Intervention to Improve Toothbrushing in Children and Teens With Autism

The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether the autism-friendly app improves toothbrushing outcomes compared to a control app with only a digital mirror and countdown timer among children and teens (ages 8-17 years) with autism. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Will toothbrushing distribution, duration, and frequency be greater in the experimental arm than in the control arm? 2. Will toothbrushing habit formation be higher in the experimental arm than in the control arm? 3. Is caregiver and child self-efficacy a mediator of toothbrushing habit formation? 4. Do children who exhibit habit formation report better oral health-related quality of life? Participants will: 1. Use either the autism-friendly app or the control app during their daily toothbrushing routine for 3 months. 2. Complete surveys and assessments about toothbrushing behaviors and oral health over the course of the study.

NCT Number	NCT07446413
Lead Sponsor	University of Washington Collaborators: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
Conditions	Autism Spectrum Disorder
Enrollment	270 participants
Start Date	2026-05-07
Primary Completion	2028-08-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2029-08-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-02