An ‘explosion in the mouth’: The oral health experiences of autistic children
In England, one in four children have tooth decay by the age of 5 years. Tooth decay affects many autistic children. Communication differences, sensory sensitivities and preferred routines can make dental care difficult. Daily toothbrushing, healthy eating and drinking, and attending the dentist may be challenging for autistic children. We do not know much about […]
Behaviour change intervention (education and text) to prevent dental caries in secondary school pupils: BRIGHT RCT, process and economic evaluation
CONCLUSIONS: Engagement with the intervention and evidence of 6-month change in toothbrushing behaviour was positive but did not translate into a reduction of caries. Future work should include work with secondary-school pupils to develop an understanding of the determinants of oral health behaviours, including toothbrushing and sugar consumption, particularly according to free school meal eligibility. […]
Dental caries and school readiness in 5-year-olds: A birth cohort data linkage study
CONCLUSION: This is the first study to explore the association between caries experience and school readiness using a holistic assessment tool. The association was found across different learning areas and was comparable to and independent of socio-economic status. The findings indicate oral health-related absenteeism is not a causative factor. EYFSP shows potential to enhance the […]
Behaviour change intervention for toothbrushing (lesson and text messages) to prevent dental caries in secondary school pupils: The BRIGHT randomized control trial
CONCLUSION: There was no evidence of statistically significant difference for caries prevalence at 2.5-years. The intervention’s positive 6-month toothbrushing behaviour change did not translate into caries reduction. (ISRCTN 12139369). COVID-19 pandemic adversly affected follow-up. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2024 Aug;52(4):469-478. doi: 10.1111/cdoe.12940. Epub 2024 Jan 8. ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: This multicentre, assessor-blinded, two-arm cluster randomized trial […]
Special considerations in paediatric dental trauma
Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) in the paediatric population are common and frequently seen in general dental practice. The management of TDIs can be challenging and, in most cases, the General Dental Practitioner is tasked with the initial assessment and emergency treatment. Patients and their families typically attend with elevated levels of distress, which is complicated […]
A national survey of supervised toothbrushing programmes in England
Introduction Supervised toothbrushing programmes (STPs) are a cost-effective public health intervention, reducing tooth decay and health inequalities in children. However, the uptake of STPs in England is unknown. This study aimed to establish the current provision of STPs across England and summarise the barriers and facilitators to their implementation.Methods An online survey was sent to […]
Improving data quality from routine clinical appointments-Development of a minimum dataset for traumatic dental injuries in children and adolescents
CONCLUSION: A Minimum Dataset for TDI has been developed using a robust and transparent methodology. Dent Traumatol. 2023 Dec;39(6):531-541. doi: 10.1111/edt.12876. Epub 2023 Aug 14. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND/AIMS: It is currently difficult to evaluate the success or not of treatment for dental injuries due to poor recording of diagnostic and treatment codes in clinical dentistry. A […]
Experiences of newly qualified dentists in delivering oral health advice to parents/caregivers of young children-challenges and solutions
INTRODUCTION: A key skill for dental professionals to master is their ability to have effective preventive oral health conversations. On qualifying, UK dentists undertake a one-year foundation training programme in general practice. This study explored with Foundation Dentists, the barriers and facilitators to undertaking oral health conversations with parents/caregivers and their children, aged 0-11 years […]
Identifying important prognostic factors and outcomes for autotransplantation of developing teeth: Clinicians’ perspectives
CONCLUSIONS: The clinical outcomes rated as the most important were transplant survival and reason for failure, outcomes relating to pulp health, different types of resorption and evidence of infection (suppuration). Important patient-reported outcomes were satisfaction with overall treatment experience, and outcome and quality of life related to function of the transplanted tooth. Procedural information rated […]