ArticleBritish dental journal2015
What proportion of dental care in care homes could be met by direct access to dental therapists or dental hygienists?
Article in British dental journal, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
7 citing papers in PubMed.
- Domiciliary dental care: a scoping review of the literature.BDJ open · 2026Article
- Using Role Substitution to Improve Oral Health in Care Homes: A Process Evaluation.Gerodontology · 2026Article
- Care home managers' perspectives on domiciliary dental care: a qualitative study.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Setting the context for a complex dental intervention of role substitution in care homes: Initial process evaluation findings.Gerodontology · 2024Article
- A Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility of Real-Time Teledentistry in Residential Aged Care Facilities.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Identification and assessment of factors that impact the demand for and supply of dental hygienists amidst an evolving workforce context: a scoping review.BMC oral health · 2024Article
- uSing rolE-substitutioN In care homes to improve ORal health (SENIOR): a study protocol.Trials · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMany care home residents require simple dental treatment which is complicated by the need for extra time to deliver dental care. The proportion of their care which could be delivered wholly by hygienists or therapists is unknown.
method2010 Welsh dental care home survey data on clinical opinion of treatment need and special care skill level required was cross referenced with General Dental Council guidance on direct access.
resultsCare home residents treatment needs could be wholly addressed by a generalist dental hygienist or therapist for 22% and 27% of cases respectively. With special care experience these figures increase to 43% and 53%. DISCUSSION: A large proportion of need in care homes could be wholly provided by hygienists or therapists, especially those with special care experience. The potential efficiency gain of direct access arises from individuals who do not need to see a dentist for any aspects of their care. Direct access to hygienists/therapists for dental care of care home residents should be piloted and evaluated.
conclusionHygienists and therapists could make a large contribution to addressing dental treatment needs of care home residents and direct access could be an efficient model of care for this setting.
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Registered trials
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