New dentistry publications

A previous CUREMeDE team member and research student, Emma Barnes, now a research collaborator on dental studies,  has two new publications based on the findings of her recent PhD study. The PhD study “Understanding Dental Professionals’ Roles in Oral Health Education” which explored dental professionals and patients’ experiences of providing and receiving oral health education in general dental practices was supervised by Prof Alison Bullock at CUREMeDE and Prof Ivor G Chestnutt at the School of Dentistry.

The first paper What influences the provision and reception of oral health education? A narrative review of the literature published in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology explores the literature on oral health education to identify the different factors that influence oral health education provision and impact. The findings are displayed in a conceptual diagram that plot the influencing factors at macro-, meso-, micro-, interactional- and post-interaction levels. The paper highlights how a range of factors influence the OHE process before, during and after the educational interaction for both dental professionals and patients.

The second paper, It's their mouth at the end of the day': dental professionals' reactions to oral health education outcomes was published in The British Dental Journal. The qualitative, interview study explores dentists and dental therapists’ reactions to varying OHE outcomes, how it influences their views of both patients and oral health education, and their motivations to persist with their efforts. The paper describes how prevention and OHE necessitate an acceptance of factors that are outside of the professional's control and requires a shift for some in how they view their professional role and responsibilities.