Co-developing a strategy to implement periodontal guidelines v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Co-development and feasibility of an implementation strategy to improve the adoption of clinical guidelines for periodontal treatment in primary dental care
IRAS ID
344120
Contact name
Eduardo Bernabe
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University of London
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN38351718
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 3 months, 31 days
Research summary
Background: Fifty-two percent of adults in East London have periodontitis, with ethnic minorities and poorer individuals being disproportionally affected. Clinical guidelines for the treatment of periodontitis were published internationally in 2020 and later endorsed by relevant UK professional bodies. These clinical guidelines provide evidence-informed recommendations to improve the delivery of high-quality periodontal treatment. Despite their ubiquity, the translation of clinical guidelines into routine clinical practice remains suboptimal.
Aim: To co-develop and evaluate the feasibility of an implementation strategy to improve the adoption of clinical guidelines for treatment of periodontitis in NHS primary dental care.
Methods: This is a participatory mixed-methods implementation study in primary care dental practices in North East London. It includes 3 consecutive work packages (WP). WP1 (6 months) will identify contextual barriers and facilitators of implementation of the treatment guidelines from interviews with key informant groups (dentists, dental hygienists, receptionists, periodontal patients and service commissioners). Conversations will be guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. WP2 (6 months) will co-design with key informant groups a theoretically-based implementation strategy that addresses perceived barriers and maximises potential facilitators of implementation. WP3 (18 months) will be a pre-post feasibility study in a small number of primary care dental practices to evaluate the logistics of the implementation process and gather data to inform the definitive implementation trial.
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/WM/0020
Date of REC Opinion
19 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion