The impact of orthodontic appliances on eating - young people's views and experiences.

Objectives: Orthodontic appliances are known to cause patients difficulty with eating. Learning more about the issues patients face, while eating with orthodontic appliances in place, will allow us to create more informative and relevant patient information, thereby improving patient compliance and treatment success. This study aims to understand how orthodontic appliances impact on eating in the broader context and to explore adolescent patients' perceptions of eating with orthodontic appliances.

Managing resources in NHS dentistry: using health economics to inform commissioning decisions.

Background: The aim of this study is to develop, apply and evaluate an economics-based framework to assist commissioners in their management of finite resources for local dental services. In April 2006, Primary Care Trusts in England were charged with managing finite dental budgets for the first time, yet several independent reports have since criticised the variability in commissioning skills within these organisations. The study will explore the views of stakeholders (dentists, patients and commissioners) regarding priority setting and the criteria used for decision-making and resource allocation.

Paying for treatments? Influences on negotiating clinical need and decision-making for dental implant treatment.

Background: The aim of this study is to examine how clinicians and patients negotiate clinical need and treatment decisions within a context of finite resources. Dental implant treatment is an effective treatment for missing teeth, but is only available via the NHS in some specific clinical circumstances. The majority of people who receive this treatment therefore pay privately, often at substantial cost to themselves.