Decision aids for the management of decayed primary teeth
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Development of a patient decision aid and patient information resource for the management of decayed primary teeth: supporting parents and children to make the right choice for them.
IRAS ID
239792
Contact name
Suneeta Prasad
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 2 days
Research summary
Tooth decay is a widespread disease affecting over one quarter of British five year olds. These children may be referred to a specialist service to have treatment. Clinical experience and research evidence suggests that parents/carers find it difficult to weigh up options to decide what treatment is best for their child when they have several decayed baby teeth. The decision is complex as it involves choosing between saving or extracting teeth, different types of filling materials as well as several anaesthetic options such as "local anaesthetic (injection) with or without sedation (Laughing gas) or under a general anaesthetic (being put to sleep). Making the decision as to which option is best for the child is difficult as it depends on the child's ability to cope and their parents' values about treatment and its consequences. One way to support parents and children is to use "patient decision aids" (PDA's). These provide information about all treatment options, how well they work, other consequences and guidance on how to make a choice based on the patients' experiences and values. PDA's enhance the experience of care by helping patients, together with their clinician, understand their own health problem and treatment decisions more clearly. This study therefore aims to develop a Patient Decision Aid to support parents and children to make the right choice for them for the management of their child's decayed baby teeth. As GA is still the preferred treatment modality for a significant number of children with multiple decayed baby teeth, the study will also aim to develop a family-centred and age appropriate information resource for delivering pre and post operative information to parents and children who decide to have a GA for the treatment.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0231
Date of REC Opinion
16 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion