A £1.7M trial funded by the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) theme of the National Institute of Health Research will see if a prevention package delivered by dentists in practice can prevent tooth decay in young children. The outcomes could inform the development of NHS dental services and interventions in the UK.

Professor Martin Tickle

The three-year multi-collaborative trial will take place in Northern Ireland but will involve a team of dental experts that will be led by Professor Martin Tickle of the Oral Health Unit at The University of Manchester.

Recent studies have shown that prevention of decay in the primary teeth in NHS general dental practice is not very effective and that over a three year period 35% of two- to three-year-olds registered with a dentist develop tooth decay. Northern Ireland has a particular problem as approximately 45% of five-year-olds have tooth decay.

In England all NHS general dental practitioners have been sent an evidence-based toolkit which identifies best evidence for preventive care, but research has yet to show whether these interventions are cost effective when used in every day NHS practice. The trial will therefore test the cost effectiveness of fluoride varnish and family-strength fluoride toothpaste provided in general practice twice a year to help prevent decay.

Professor Tickle said, 'The aim of the trial is to see if we can keep a larger proportion of children free of decay by using a fluoride varnish and toothpaste. Hopefully the findings will help to inform future policy on children's dental health and focus on proactively preventing tooth decay rather than treating the disease once it has started.'