Silver diamine fluoride for the management of dental caries in children in primary dental care: protocol for a feasibility study

BACKGROUND

Dental caries remains a significant problem in England, affecting 11% of 3-year-olds and 23% of 5-year-olds. While current approaches have been extensively investigated, their ability to (1) control pain and infection; (2) prevent hospital admissions, and (3) be implemented within the National Health Service (NHS) contractual arrangements, remains unsatisfactory. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is an alternative, non-invasive approach that has proven efficacy in arresting caries progression in primary teeth, principally from studies conducted outside of Europe. Its use in primary dental care in the UK is limited, despite the acknowledged need. The clinical and cost-effectiveness of SDF has not been compared to usual care in the UK. Before a pragmatic randomised controlled trial (RCT) can be conducted to compare SDF to usual care for caries management in young children, there are several uncertainties that require investigation. This study aims to establish whether such an RCT is feasible.

METHODS

This mixed-method parallel design study is a feasibility study with an embedded process evaluation, to compare SDF with usual treatment in primary dental care in the UK. It will be individually randomised, with 13 dentists and therapists, in 8 different dental primary care sites with a sample size of 80 child participants aged 1-8 years old. The aim will be to recruit ten participants per site with equal arm allocation. Follow-up will be for 1 year. The study will inform whether an RCT is feasible by resolving several key uncertainties. The acceptability and implementation of SDF and the research processes will be explored. Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement representatives will be involved throughout recruitment and retention strategies, participant documentation, analysis, engagement and dissemination.

DISCUSSION

The ability to conduct an RCT will be evaluated. If feasible, this RCT has the potential to evaluate the effectiveness of a non-invasive approach for the management of untreated caries in young children. A feasibility study also offers the opportunity to consider factors associated with the implementation of SDF at an early stage through a process evaluation that will inform the definitive trial and an implementation strategy for SDF by identifying relevant barriers and facilitators.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT06092151. Date: 19/10/2023.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Dental Treatment in Children: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis in Jeddah City

Background/Purpose

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has affected individuals worldwide. Considering the nature of dental treatments and direct exposure to saliva, blood, aerosols, or droplets from infected individuals, dentists are at significant risk of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, to decrease aerosol-generating procedures, minimally invasive dentistry (MID) is recommended during this pandemic. The goal of this research was to compare the flow of patients during a pandemic at a single university hospital in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia, and to retrospectively assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric dental treatments including MID.

Materials and Methods

This study was a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of pediatric patient records, dental procedures performed, and minimally invasive techniques using the database of the King Abdul-Aziz University Dental Hospital (R4) system during the period of COVID 19 pandemic compared to the same period in the previous year.

Results

During the COVID-19 pandemic, pediatric dental patient flow included only 699 patients compared to 1151 patients during the same period in the previous year. The most common pediatric dental procedures performed during the pandemic period were simple restorative treatments, including fissure sealants, followed by dental extractions, and fluoride varnish applications. During the pandemic period, more minimally invasive treatments were performed, including the Hall technique, silver diamine fluoride, resin infiltration, and atraumatic restorative techniques.

Conclusion

Based on this data, the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on dental patient flow and the type of dental procedures performed on children. Minimally invasive treatments that minimize air generation are recommended; however, to establish the long-term effectiveness of minimally invasive treatments in pediatric dentistry, more follow-up studies with bigger sample sizes are required. More recommendations regarding conservative pediatric dental management after the COVID-19 era are suggested.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health inequalities and access to oral healthcare in England

While the impact of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on health inequalities is documented, oral health has been absent from this discussion. This commentary highlights the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on oral health inequalities in England in February 2021. It includes a literature review, Public Health England and Kantar Worldpanel sales data on health behaviours and analysis of NHS dental services data. Purchasing data indicate, except for smoking, increases in health-compromising behaviours. Since the resumption of dental services, NHS general dental service use modestly recovered among adults but not children by October 2020. There are clear inequalities among children and older adults, with more deprived groups having lower uptake of dental service use than more affluent groups. Oral cancer referrals and hospital admissions for tooth extractions in children dramatically declined, with the latter primarily affecting children in more deprived areas. Many oral health programmes in schools and care homes were disrupted or suspended throughout this period. All these indicate that oral health inequalities have widened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An oral health plan of action requires prioritising long-term investment in public health programmes and transforming commissioning pathways to support those with the greatest needs to access oral healthcare services.

People living in more deprived areas have fared worse than people living in less deprived areas, in terms of uptake of NHS primary dental care following the resumption of services in June 2020.

The cessation of oral health improvement programmes in the community and the dramatic decline of hospital dental services due to the COVID-19 pandemic have also primarily impacted the more socially disadvantaged groups, further widening inequalities.

Addressing the widened oral health inequalities requires long-term investment in oral health, prioritising public health programmes and supporting access to services.

Utilizing Teledentistry to Manage Cleft Lip and Palate Patients in an Outpatient Setting

BACKGROUND

As a result of the current global pandemic, the dental profession has utilized teledentistry to reduce footfall in the hospitals and clinics where possible. Pediatric dental consultants form a vital part of a multidisciplinary team and regularly monitor the dental growth and development of patients with cleft lip and palate.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the effectiveness of the service provided by pediatric dental consultants in the South Thames Cleft Service at Evelina Children's Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic through virtual clinics.

DESIGN

Data were collected retrospectively and include all cleft patients contacted via the virtual clinic during May to July 2020. Patients were prioritized by the Red, Amber, Green (RAG) scale to highlight the urgency of their next face-to-face appointment.

RESULTS

A total of 215 patients were contacted during this period with a 97% response rate. Patients given a RAG score of GREEN (86%) meant no urgent requirement for a face-to-face consultation and AMBER (8%) patients required treatment that was deemed nonurgent. However, 3% of patients received a RED rating as they required urgent input.

CONCLUSION

Through these virtual clinics, the pediatric team was able to reach 208 patients and provided advice and reassurance. The need for face-to-face appointment was eliminated for 11% of patients who were discharged to their local dental practitioners, thereby reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19.