How to have healthy conversations: Contemporary Evidence and Behaviour Change Tools in support of Delivering Better (Oral) Health.

The aim of this paper is to provide dental professionals with insight into how the science of behaviour change can be used to support patients to change their oral health behaviours. The paper describes how the fourth version of (DBOHv4) published in November 2021, brings together the theory plus key principles and practical tools in Chapter 3 "Behaviour change", to help front-line clinicians achieve the best effect. DBOH is freely available to all online at and is a key resource for dental teams for the prevention of oral diseases.

Editorial - Delivering Better Oral Health 2021 - What's new and where next?

Delivering Better Oral Health (DBOH) was fi rst published in 2007 (Department of Health et al., 2007) at the request of the Department of Health to the British Association of Community Dentistry (BASCD). It was led by Dr Sue Gregory, who was at that time President of BASCD; and, thereafter, appointed Deputy Chief Dental Officer for England.

Formulation and fluoride content of dentifrices: a review of current patterns.

Introduction Consumer oral hygiene products play a key role in improving and maintaining population oral health. The oral personal care market is rapidly diversifying; a growing number of dentifrices marketed a 'natural' and fluoride-free are entering mainstream retailers, which may have implications for the oral health of the population 'with regards to caries risk.Aims To investigate the range of fluoride concentrations, flavour formulations and delivery mechanisms of dentifrices available on the UK market.

Effectiveness of school-based behavioural interventions to improve children's oral health by reducing sugar intake and promoting oral hygiene: A rapid review of randomised controlled trials.

Objective: To evaluate evidence of the effectiveness of school-based behavioural interventions to improve the oral health of children aged 3-18 years in a rapid review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods: Three independent reviewers searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and other sources between January 2000 and December 2020 for eligible published and unpublished studies in English and extracted data. Primary outcomes were caries increment, plaque levels, gingival health, reported frequency and/or amount of free sugars intake and oral hygiene behaviour.

Remuneration of primary dental care in England: a qualitative framework analysis of perspectives of a new service delivery model incorporating incentives for improved access, quality and health outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to describe stakeholder perspectives of a new service delivery model in primary care dentistry incorporating incentives for access, quality and health outcomes.

Design: Data were collected through observations, interviews and focus groups.

Setting: This was conducted under six UK primary dental care practices, three working under the incentive-driven contract and three working under the traditional activity-based contract.

A feasibility study to explore the governance processes required for linkage between dental epidemiological, and birth cohort, data in the U.K.

Birth cohort initiatives, such as 'Born in Bradford', provide a unique opportunity to study the influence of socio-economic and environmental factors acting in pregnancy, birth and infancy on the development of dental caries in later life. This paper describes a feasibility study which established the processes required, and outcomes of, successful linkage of oral health data collected by the 2013 three-year-old national dental epidemiology survey with the Born in Bradford birth cohort database. The necessary processes included achieving research permissions and ethical approval; creation of a data sharing agreement; ensuring data security and encrypted data transfer.

Shaping dental contract reform: a clinical and cost-effective analysis of incentive-driven commissioning for improved oral health in primary dental care.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a new blended dental contract incentivising improved oral health compared with a traditional dental contract based on units of dental activity (UDAs).

Design: Non-randomised controlled study.

Setting: Six UK primary care dental practices, three working under a new blended dental contract; three matched practices under a traditional contract.

The Self-Reported Oral Health Status and Dental Attendance of Smokers and Non-Smokers in England.

Smoking has been identified as the second greatest risk factor for global death and disability and has impacts on the oral cavity from aesthetic changes to fatal diseases such as oral cancer. The paper presents a secondary analysis of the National Adult Dental Health Survey (2009). The analysis used descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses and logistic regression models to report the self-reported oral health status and dental attendance of smokers and non-smokers in England.

Global Surgery Fellowship: A model for surgical care and education in resource-poor countries.

Background/purpose: Surgical diseases have recently been shown to be a major cause of global morbidity and mortality. Effective methods to decrease the burden of surgical disease and provide care in resource-poor settings are unknown. An opportunity to meet this need exists through collaborative efforts to train local surgeons in specialty care, such as pediatric general surgery.

The prevalence of incisor hypomineralisation and its relationship with the prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralisation.

Aim: To establish the prevalence of incisor hypomineralisation (IH) in a cohort of 12-year-old children in Northern England and to relate the prevalence to gender, socioeconomic status, and the prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH).

Method: The study population comprised 12-year-old children participating in the 2008-2009 National Dental Epidemiological Programme in five regions in Northern England. Participating dentists were trained and calibrated in the use of the modified Developmental Defects of Enamel Index.

The INCENTIVE protocol: an evaluation of the organisation and delivery of NHS dental healthcare to patients-innovation in the commissioning of primary dental care service delivery and organisation in the UK.

Introduction: In England, in 2006, new dental contracts devolved commissioning of dental services locally to Primary Care Trusts to meet the needs of their local population. The new national General Dental Services contracts (nGDS) were based on payment for Units of Dental Activity (UDAs) awarded in three treatment bands based on complexity of care. Recently, contract currency in UK dentistry is evolving from UDAs based on volume and case complexity towards 'blended contracts' that include incentives linked with key performance indicators such as quality and improved health outcome.

The effect of premature extraction of primary teeth on the subsequent need for orthodontic treatment.

Aim: To investigate if premature extraction of primary teeth was associated with orthodontic need in the permanent dentition.

Study Design: This was a case-control study based on retrospective dental records.

Methods: As part of NHS (UK) Dental Epidemiology Programme a sample of 366, 12-year-old children from Bradford and Airedale were examined.

The self-reported oral health status and dental attendance of smokers and non-smokers.

Aim: To report the oral health status and dental attendance of smokers and non-smokers.

Methods: A postal survey enquiring about smoking status, stop smoking advice, dental attendance and perceptions of oral health was conducted in Yorkshire and the Humber, U.K.

Incidence of oral cancer among South Asians and those of other ethnic groups by sex in West Yorkshire and England, 2001-2006.

In 2008 there were 11682 cases of oral cancer in the United Kingdom; this is 16.41/100000 population, and 3.7% of all cancers.

The prevalence of molar incisor hypomineralisation in Northern England and its relationship to socioeconomic status and water fluoridation.

Background: Molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) is a condition which has significant implications for patients and service provision.

Aims: The aim of this survey was to determine the prevalence of MIH in 12-year olds in Northern England and to consider the relationship with socioeconomic status and background water fluoridation.

Design: Twelve-year-old children were examined for the presence of MIH.

Summary of: job satisfaction among dually qualified dental hygienist-therapists in UK primary care: a structural model.

Objective: To investigate job satisfaction among hygienist-therapists. Increasing numbers of hygienist-therapists work in UK primary dental care teams. Earlier studies suggest a clinical remit/clinical activity mismatch, without investigating any link with job satisfaction.

The oral health of adults in Yorkshire and Humber 2008.

Background And Aim: Although national surveys are conducted of the oral health of adults in the UK, few data are available at regional and primary care trust levels to inform local commissioning. A postal survey was conducted to investigate the oral health and use of dental services by adults in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

Method: A questionnaire was developed and piloted, then sent to a random sample of 25,200 adults.

Dental therapy in the United Kingdom: part 4. Teamwork--is it working for dental therapists?

Objectives: To determine whether practising dental therapists, including dually qualified hygienist/therapists, considered themselves to be part of the clinical team and whether clinical work referred to them met with their expectations.

Methods: A postal survey enquired about work experiences of UK dental therapists, as previously described earlier in the series.

Results: While they certainly considered themselves to be part of the clinical team, the majority of respondents did not feel 'fully utilised'.