BACKGROUND:Australian Aboriginal children experience dental decay at more than twice the rate of non-Aboriginal children. The Select Committee into the Provision of and Access to Dental Services in Australia noted that the rate of potentially preventable hospitalizations was the highest among children aged between 5 and 9 years and was higher among Indigenous Australians and those living in remote locations. The application of a silver fluoride (AgF) solution to decayed surfaces has been shown to be effective in stopping the decay process and reducing the occurrence of new decay but has been tested to a limited extent in the Australian context. OBJECTIVE:This study aims to evaluate the feasibility of using the skills of an Aboriginal health practitioner to undertake the application of AgF to carious primary molars to arrest the caries progression and prevent the occurrence of new caries among young Aboriginal children in remote communities. METHODS:This study is a cluster-randomized controlled trial with communities randomized and stratified based on caries level and water fluoridation status. The trial will recruit 640 children (aged between 6 months and 7 years) from 30 communities. Informed consent will be obtained. At baseline, each child in the intervention group will be examined by a calibrated examiner and subsequently by an oral health practitioner who will prescribe to an Aboriginal health practitioner the teeth to be treated with AgF. A formulation with 38% AgF will be applied for 1 minute (0.004 mL per tooth). The control group will be provided with standard minimally invasive care. Participants will be followed annually for 2 years to assess caries arrest and prevention by blinded calibrated examiners. Child oral health-related quality of life and dental anxiety will be elicited through validated questionnaires. Tests of proportions will be used to evaluate the proportion of lesions arrested and the proportion of surfaces at risk that decayed over the follow-up. Multiple logistic regression with appropriate control for clustering of teeth and communities will be used to evaluate caries arrest, controlling for potential confounding factors. RESULTS:Community engagement has commenced, and data collection protocols have been prepared. Staff specific to the study (eg, Aboriginal health practitioners or workers) are in the process of recruitment. Participant recruitment will commence in March 2026 and conclude in December 2026. Study outcomes will be reported at 12- and 24-month follow-ups. CONCLUSIONS:This study will test the effectiveness and feasibility of a non-oral health professional applying AgF to achieve caries arrest and prevention and validate clinical findings against digital imagery acquired on site. This pragmatic study will inform the development of suitable and accessible models of care for dental service provision in rural and remote communities in Australia. TRIAL REGISTRATION:Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12624000457549p; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=387518&isReview=true. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID):PRR1-10.2196/72227.

The psychometric properties of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS-4D), an oral health-related quality-of-life tool for children, and EuroQol 5D-Young (EQ-5D-Y), a commonly used generic quality-of-life tool for children, were compared across a clinical severity index to determine which tool is better for measuring oral health-related quality of life in children. Delayed and filled surfaces score (dfs) was calculated for under six-year-old children at the recruitment and one year later. ECOHIS-4D and EQ-5D were filled out on both occasions. The following properties were examined: (i) Content validity by comparing mean utility values using the Wilcoxson Signed Rank Test and Bland Altman Test, (ii) Construct validity (ability to discriminate between groups of different clinical severity) by examining effect size between severity groups (iii) Responsiveness (for changes in health status) using floor and ceiling effect, standard response mean and linear regression (iv) Correlation between the utilities and dfs. Respectively, 287 and 189 children were examined at the baseline and follow-up. Mean utility estimates from the tools were significantly different. All items of EQ-5D-Y showed high ceiling effects compared to items of ECOHIS-4D. Only the utility scores of ECOHIS-4D showed a significant association with the dfs score (β=-0.003, 95

OBJECTIVE:Accurate assessment of child oral health is important for guiding economic evaluations and informing healthcare decision-making. Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS-4D) is a preference-based instrument that measures the oral health-related quality of life of young children. The aim of this study was to compare the utility scores of ECOHIS-4D and Child Health Utility Index (CHU-9D), against an oral health indicator to evaluate which utility score corresponds better with the oral health indicator.METHOD:The ECOHIS-4D and CHU-9D were applied to 314 parent/child dyads from preschools in a primary healthcare setting in Perth, Western Australia. Four parameters were used to assess which instrument corresponds better with the oral health indicator (decayed, missing and filled teeth score-dmft score): (i) discrimination, the ability to discriminate between different clinical severity groups, (ii) external responsiveness, how much the utility values relate to the changes in dmft scores, (iii) correlation, the association between the two instruments and the related dimensions and (iv) differences in the utility values across the two instruments.RESULTS:Most participants (81%) were 2-6 years old, and nearly 50% had a dmft score <3. ECOHIS-4D demonstrated a superior ability to differentiate between dmft severity groups and respond to changes in dmft scores. A significant weak correlation was observed between dmft and ECOHIS-4D (-0.26, 95%, CI -0.36 to -0.15) compared to a non-significant very poor correlation between dmft and CHU-9D (0.01, 95% CI -0.12 to 0.10). The utility scores of the two instruments had relatively good agreement towards good health and weak agreement towards poor health.CONCLUSIONS:ECOHIS-4D, the oral health-specific instrument, is more sensitive in assessing children's oral health-related quality of life than the generic CHU-9D. Thus, ECOHIS-4D is more appropriate for utility estimates in economic evaluations of oral health-related interventions and resource allocation decision-making.

BackgroundGiven the significant investment of governments and families into the provision of child dental care services in Australia, continued population oral health surveillance through national oral health surveys is imperative. ObjectiveThe aims of this study are to conduct a second National Child Oral Health Survey (NCOHS-2) to (1) describe the prevalence, extent, and impact of oral diseases in contemporary Australian children; (2) evaluate changes in the prevalence and extent of oral diseases in the Australian child population and socioeconomic subgroups since the first National Child Oral Health Study (NCOHS-1) in 2012-2013; and (3) use economic modeling to evaluate the burden of child oral disease from the NCOHS-1 and NCOHS-2 and to estimate the cost-effectiveness of targeted programs for high-risk child groups. MethodsThe NCOHS-2 will closely mimic the NCOHS-1 in being a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of Australian children aged 5-14 years. The survey will comprise oral epidemiological examinations and questionnaires to elucidate associations between dental disease in a range of outcomes, including social and emotional well-being. The information will be analyzed within the context of dental service organization and delivery at national and jurisdictional levels. Information from the NCOHS-1 and NCOHS-2 will be used to simulate oral disease and its economic burden using both health system and household costs of childhood oral health disease. ResultsParticipant recruitment for the NCOHS-2 will commence in February 2024. The first results are expected to be submitted for publication 6 months after NCOHS-2 data collection has been completed. Thematic workshops with key partners and stakeholders will also occur at this time. ConclusionsRegular surveillance of child oral health at an Australian level facilitates timely policy and planning of each state and territory’s dental public health sector. This is imperative to enable the most equitable distribution of scarce public monies, especially for socially disadvantaged children who bear the greatest dental disease burden. The last NCOHS was conducted in 2012-2014, meaning that these data need to be updated to better inform effective dental health policy and planning. The NCOHS-2 will enable more up-to-date estimates of dental disease prevalence and severity among Australian children, with cost-effective analysis being useful to determine the economic burden of poor child dental health on social and emotional well-being and other health indicators. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/52233

Background: This study tested the occurrence of early childhood caries (ECC) and changes in potential mediators of ECC after an early childhood oral health promotion intervention. Methods: Consenting parent/child dyads in Western Australia were randomised into test [motivational interviewing (MI) + anticipatory guidance (AG)] or control (lift the lip assessments by child health nurses). A questionnaire at baseline and follow-ups (at 18, 36 and 60 months) evaluated the parental factors and the children clinically examined. Data were analysed using parametric and non-parametric tests for two groups and paired comparisons. Multivariable analysis used negative binomial regression with robust standard errors for over-dispersed count data and effect estimates presented as incidence rate ratios. Results: Nine hundred and seventeen parent/child dyads were randomised (test n = 456; control n = 461). The parental attitude toward a child’s oral hygiene needs improved among the test group at the first follow-up (n = 377; baseline 1.8, SD 2.2, follow-up 1.5, SD 1.9, p = 0.005). Living in a non-fluoridated area and parents holding a fatalistic belief increased the risk of caries (IRR = 4.2, 95% CI 1.8–10.2 and IRR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.7–7.3), respectively, but MI/AG did not reduce the incidence of dental caries. Conclusion: The brief MI/AG oral health promotion intervention improved parental attitude but did not reduce ECC.

BACKGROUND:Teeth affected with enamel defects (EDs) are at an increased risk of dental caries. In spite of improving oral health status overall in Australia, Indigenous Australians still experience higher rates of dental caries than non-Indigenous Australians. This study reports on the prevalence of EDs and dental caries experience among Indigenous children in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.METHODS:Health status of all the primary teeth (ICDAS II criteria) and the presence of EDs on index teeth (modified Dental Defects of Enamel index; DDE) of young Indigenous children who participated in a 2-arm intervention trial was recorded. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the association between EDs and dental caries and effect estimates were presented as odds ratios and associated 95% confidence intervals.RESULTS:Person-level prevalence, from 237 children (mean age 3.6 years, standard deviation 1.7) assessed for EDs, was 58% and tooth-level prevalence was 24%. Teeth affected with demarcated or diffuse defects were associated with a twofold higher odds of having caries experience, odds ratio (OR) 2.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7-3.7 and OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.7-4.0 respectively.CONCLUSIONS:The presence of EDs among young Indigenous children was associated with a higher odds of caries experience among affected teeth.

Purpose Preference-based quality of life measures (PBMs) are used to generate quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in economic evaluations. A PBM consists of (1) a health state classification system and (2) a utility value set that allows the instrument responses to be converted to QALYs. A new, oral health-specific classification system, the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale-4D (ECOHIS-4D) has recently been developed. The aim of this study was to generate an Australian utility value set for the ECOHIS-4D. Methods A discrete choice experiment with duration (DCE TTO ) was used as the preference elicitation technique. An online survey was administered to a representative sample of Australian adults over 18 years. Respondents were given 14 choice tasks (10 tasks from the DCE design of 50 choice sets blocked into five blocks, 2 practice tasks, a repeated and a dominant task). Data were analyzed using the conditional logit model. Results A total of 1201 respondents from the Australian general population completed the survey. Of them, 69% ( n = 829) perceived their oral health status to be good, very good, or excellent. The estimated coefficients from the conditional logit models were in the expected directions and were statistically significant ( p < 0.001). The utility values for health states defined by the ECOHIS-4D ranged from 0.0376 to 1.0000. Conclusions This newly developed utility value set will enable the calculation of utility values for economic evaluations of interventions related to oral diseases such as dental caries among young children. This will facilitate more effective resource allocation for oral health services.

INTRODUCTION Aboriginal* children in rural and remote communities in Australia have a higher burden of dental decay and poorer access to dental services than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. In the Kimberley region of Western Australia (WA), Aboriginal children experience six times the rate of untreated dental decay of non-Aboriginal children. Access to dental care is challenged by the availability and appropriate delivery of services in remote locations. This study elicited the experiences and perceptions of parents and carers who participated in a project that tested the minimally invasive atraumatic restorative treatment and the Hall technique approaches (ART-HT) to manage early childhood dental caries among Australian Aboriginal preschool children. METHODS The core study design was a stepped-wedge, cluster-community-randomised controlled trial. Consenting communities in the Kimberley region of WA were randomised into early and delayed intervention groups. Children were clinically examined at study commencement; the early intervention group was offered dental treatment using the ART-HT approach, and the delayed group was advised to seek dental care from their usual service provider. At the 12-month follow-up, children in both groups were re-examined and offered care using the minimally invasive model of care, and parents and carers were invited to take part in focus group or one-to-one interviews. Semistructured interviews, guided by the yarning approach, were conducted with consenting parents and carers in community locations of convenience to participants. The same open-ended questions were asked of all participants, and the interviews were audio-recorded with permission and transcribed by an independent agency. Thematic analysis was undertaken, the transcripts were coded by NVivo software, and emergent themes were identified and developed. RESULTS One-to-one interviews were conducted with 29 parents and carers (10 from five test communities; 19 from eight control communities). Interview participants consisted of 3 males and 26 females. Following thematic analysis, three main themes (and subthemes) were identified: (1) access to care (barriers, service availability, impact on family due to lack of access); (2) experience of care (cultural safety, child-centred care, comprehensiveness of care); (3) community engagement (service information, engagement, oral health education). Structural and system factors as well as geography were identified as barriers by parents and carers in accessing timely and affordable dental care in culturally safe environments; parents and carers also identified the impacts from lack of access to care. They valued comprehensive care delivered within community, underpinned by child- and family-centred care. Of equal importance was the holistic approach adopted through the building of community engagement and trusting relationships. CONCLUSION A high level of satisfaction was reported by parents and carers with their experience of dental care for their children with the minimally invasive approach. Satisfaction was expressed around ease of accessing services delivered in a child- and family-centred manner, and that were well supported by appropriate engagement between service providers, communities and families. The findings from this study suggest a minimally invasive dental care model can be considered effective and culturally acceptable and should be considered in delivering oral health services for young children in rural and remote locations. * The term Aboriginal is inclusive of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

OBJECTIVES:The management of early childhood caries is challenging and the impacts of its treatment on child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) and dental anxiety among Australian Aboriginal children is relatively unknown. The aim of the study was to compare the impact on COHRQoL and dental anxiety after approximately 12 months among Aboriginal children treated for early childhood caries (ECC) using the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and the Hall Technique (ART/HT: test) or standard care (control). METHODS:Consenting Aboriginal communities in the North-West of Western Australia were randomized into early (test) or delayed (control) intervention for the management of ECC. Children and parents/carers completed a questionnaire at baseline and at follow-up. The questionnaire sought information on COHRQoL using the proxy-reported Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and the self-reported Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children (CARIES-QC). The test group was provided with the ART/HT care at baseline while the control group was advised to seek care through the usual care options available within the community. At follow-up, both groups were offered care using the ART/HT approach. Changes in the mean scores from baseline to follow-up within groups were evaluated using appropriate paired (t-test, Wilcoxon paired test), and between groups with unpaired tests (t-test). Multivariate regression analysis after multiple imputations of missing data used generalized estimating equation (GEE) controlling for clustering within communities. RESULTS:Twenty-five communities and 338 children (mean age = 3.6 years, sd 1.7) participated in the study (test = 177). One child was excluded from the analysis because of a missing questionnaire and clinical data at baseline and follow-up. At baseline, test group children were older (test = 3.8 years, 95% CI 3.6-4.1;control = 3.3 years, 95% CI 3.1-3.6) and had higher caries experience (test dmft = 4.4, 95% CI 3.8-5.0;control dmft = 3.1, 95% CI 2.5-3.7), but there was no significant difference in COHRQoL or anxiety levels between the groups. At follow-up, parents in the delayed intervention reported worsening of COHRQoL (70% worsening of the family impact section of the ECOHIS and 37% worsening of the total ECOHIS scale), and there was an 8% reduction in child dental anxiety among the early treatment group. CONCLUSIONS:The application of the ART/HT approaches was feasible, effective, and impacted positively on child oral health-related quality of life and child dental anxiety among Aboriginal children in remote communities. The model of care as tested in this study should be further developed for inclusion in main-stream service delivery programmes.

OBJECTIVES Most of the paediatric quality-of-life instruments in oral health research are not preference-based measures, thus cannot be used in economic evaluations. The Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) is one such instrument which assesses oral health impact on children's quality of life among three- to five-year-olds. With increasing demands for more resource allocation in oral health care, there is a need for an outcome metric which can be used as the outcome in economic evaluations. The aim of this study was to develop a preference-based, health-state classification system from the existing ECOHIS instrument. METHODS The 13-item ECOHIS instrument was applied to the carers of 280 preschoolers who participated in a clinical trial in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to assess the dimensionality of the ECOHIS. Rasch analysis was used to eliminate and select items per determined dimensions and to reduce the number of response options for each item, because six levels were not amenable to valuation. The final classification system was determined through a combination of psychometric and expert advice. RESULTS Items loaded on to four dimensions with the factor analysis. Using Rasch analysis, three items were selected from the first dimension (child functional and psychological impact) and one item from the second dimension (child social interaction impact). None were selected from the third dimension (parental distress and family function impact) as it is not an appropriate proxy method of measuring the level of impact on a child. The final classification system has four dimensions with three levels in each, and so it has been named the ECOHIS-4D. CONCLUSIONS The ECOHIS-4D classification system is a new preference-based instrument derived from the existing ECOHIS instrument. Future valuation studies will develop a utility value set for the health states defined by this classification system, and this will guide economic evaluations related to oral health interventions.

BACKGROUND:This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of atraumatic restorative treatment and the Hall Technique approach (ART/HT) in managing dental caries in young children under the health provider perspective in order to explore a best-buy alternative to dental general anaesthesia (DGA).METHODS:Sixty-five observations from a randomized controlled trial were used to construct 20 000 microsimulations representing individual-level clinical outcome and costs of the DGA and ART/HT. Outcome was percentage of successfully managed cases. Costs were reported in 2020 price. Three different scenarios with different assumptions of clinical success of the DGA and the ART/HT were analysed. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was carried out.RESULTS:The ART/HT successfully managed more cases at lower cost ($557) than the DGA when the system failure of the DGA was considered. Under per protocol analysis, participants in both arms were successfully managed, but the ART/HT costed $580 less than the DGA. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis confirmed the ART/HT was a dominant intervention.CONCLUSIONS:The ART/HT approach was non-inferior in managing dental caries in young children but at lower costs than the DGA. The ART/HT could be a viable option in the provision of comprehensive dental care in locations with limited access to DGA and reduce hospital admission.

Introduction: Parents of children treated under dental general anaesthesia (DGA) have reported feelings of concern and anxiety. This study elicited the views of parents/carers (P/C) of children with early childhood caries (ECC) who participated in a randomised trial (core study) which tested the effectiveness of care under DGA or care using alternative minimally invasive Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and the Hall Technique approaches (ART/HT). Methods: P/C of children treated using the ART/HT (test) approach or care under a DGA (control) were interviewed. Focus group semi-structured interviews with P/C were undertaken in community facilities. The transcripts were read and inductively coded into domains to identify emergent themes. The codes were entered into NVivo software to assist data management and were further refined into broad themes. Results: Seven grouped interviews with 14 participants were conducted and one test participant provided a written response. Four groups with eight test participants; two groups with four control participants; and one combined group with one test and one control participant were interviewed. Five broad themes emerged after thematic analysis: (1) Impacts on the child and the family; (2) Child-/family-centred care; (3) Timeliness of care; (4) Affordable care; (5) Accessible care. Impacts were related to that of the effects of the disease, and of the care for the disease. Child-centred/family-centred care (CCC) was a source of appreciation by P/C of both groups when it was experienced. Frustration at the lack of timely care of their child's treatment needs, coupled with the perceived expensiveness of care and difficulties in physically getting to the location for a specialist consultation was expressed by P/Cs in the study. Discussion: The use of the ART/HT enabled the establishment of a relationship between the clinical team and the child and P/C which was central to the delivery of CCC. P/Cs in the DGA arm of the study expressed dissatisfaction more often with the issues of timely care, cost of care and accessibility of care. P/C of both groups were equally satisfied with the treatment, where treatment had been received in a timely, child-centred manner. Conclusion: The findings suggest that minimally invasive approaches which facilitated CCC are acceptable alternative options to the DGA and should be considered for the management of ECC. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12616001124426.

Background Associations between kidney disease and periodontal disease are not well documented among Aboriginal people of Australia. The purpose of this investigation was to report and compare demographic, oral health, anthropometric and systemic health status of Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease and to compare against relevant Aboriginal Australians and Australian population estimates. This provides much needed evidence to inform dental health service provision policies for Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease. Methods Sample frequencies and means were assessed in adults represented in six datasets including: (1) 102 Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease residing in Central Australia who participated in a detailed oral health assessment; (2) 312 Aboriginal participants of the Northern Territory’s PerioCardio study; (3) weighted estimates from 4775 participants from Australia’s National Survey of Adult Oral Health (NSAOH); (4) Australian 2016 Census (all Australians); (5) National Health Survey 2017–2018 (all Australians) and; (6) Australian Health Survey: Biomedical Results for Chronic Diseases, 2011–2012 (all Australians). Oral health status was described by periodontal disease and experience of dental caries (tooth decay). Statistically significant differences were determined via non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals. Results Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease were significantly older, less likely to have a tertiary qualification or be employed compared with both PerioCardio study counterparts and NSAOH participants. Severe periodontitis was found in 54.3% of Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease, almost 20 times the 2.8% reported in NSAOH. A higher proportion of Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease had teeth with untreated caries and fewer dental restorations when compared to NSAOH participants. The extent of periodontal attachment loss and periodontal pocketing among Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease (51.0%, 21.4% respectively) was several magnitudes greater than PerioCardio study (22.0%, 12.3% respectively) and NSAOH (5.4%, 1.3% respectively) estimates. Conclusions Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease exhibited more indicators of poorer oral health than both the general Australian population and a general Aboriginal population from Australia’s Northern Territory. It is imperative that management of oral health among Aboriginal Australians with kidney disease be included as part of their ongoing medical care.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) was developed in Japan in the 1960s. It is a clear solution containing silver and fluoride ions. Because of its anti-bacterial and remineralizing effect, silver diamine fluoride has been used in managing dental caries for decades worldwide. This paper aims to summarize and discuss the global policies, guidelines, and relevant information on utilizing SDF for caries management. SDF can be used for treating dental caries in most countries. However, it is not permitted to be used in mainland China. Several manufacturers, mainly in Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, and the United States, produce SDF at different concentrations that are commercially available around the world. The prices differ between contents and brands. Different government organizations and dental associations have developed guidelines for clinical use of SDF. Dental professionals can refer to the specific guidelines in their own countries or territories. Training for using SDF is part of undergraduate and/or postgraduate curriculums in almost all countries. However, real utilization of SDF of dentists, especially in the private sector, remains unclear in most places because little research has been conducted. There are at least two ongoing regional-wide large-scale oral health programs, using SDF as one of the components to manage dental caries in young children (one in Hong Kong and one in Mongolia). Because SDF treatment does not require caries removal, and it is simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive, SDF is a valuable strategy for caries management in young children, elderly people, and patients with special needs. In addition, to reduce the risk of bacteria or virus transmission in dental settings, using SDF as a non-aerosol producing procedure should be emphasized under the COVID-19 outbreak.

BACKGROUND A dental general anaesthesia (DGA) is commonly undertaken for the management of dental caries in young children. A randomised controlled trial was undertaken to test the feasibility of using the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and Hall Technique approaches (ART/HT) to manage the dental treatment of children recommended for a DGA. METHODS Consenting children, recommended a DGA for caries management, at the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia were randomised. Test group children were treated using the ART/HT approach and the control group under a DGA. Children were examined after 12 months by two blinded, calibrated examiners. Analysis was on an intention to treat basis; between and within group comparisons were undertaken using appropriate paired and unpaired tests. Logistic regression was used to test restorative success, controlling for clustering of teeth. RESULTS Sixty-five children participated, (Test=32; Control=33). At study termination, 28 children (88%) in the ART/HT group and 20 children (61%) in the DGA group had been provided with care, p<0.01. Crown restorations were protective of restorative failure in a multivariate logistic model (OR 0.05, p<0.01). CONCLUSION Use of the ART/HT approach enabled timely dental treatment of young children recommended for a DGA, and should be among the treatment options considered.

Introduction: The management of early childhood caries (ECC) is challenging. Objectives: A model of care based on Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and the Hall Technique (ART-HT) to manage ECC was evaluated among remote Aboriginal communities in Australia. Methods: Aboriginal communities in the North-West of Western Australia were invited to participate and consenting communities were randomized into early or delayed intervention for the management of ECC. Children were examined at baseline and at the 11-mo follow-up. The early intervention group (test) was provided with the ART-based dental care at baseline while the delayed intervention group (control) was advised to seek care through the usual care options available within the community. At follow-up, both groups were examined by calibrated examiners, and were offered care using the ART-HT approach. Changes from baseline to follow-up in caries experience were tested using paired tests. Multivariate analysis after multiple imputation of missing data used generalised estimating equation (GEE) controlling for clustering within communities. Results: A total of 25 communities and 338 children (mean age = 3.6 y, SD 1.7) participated in the study (test = 177). At follow-up, 231 children were examined (68% retention, test = 125). At follow-up, children in the test group had more filled teeth (test filled teeth = 1.2, control filled teeth = 0.2, P < 0.001) and decreased levels of decayed teeth (mean test = 0.7 fewer teeth with decay, mean control = 1.0 more tooth with decay, P < 0.001). GEE analysis controlled for baseline caries experience, age, sex, and community water fluoride levels found increased rates of untreated decayed teeth (RR = 1.4, P = 0.02) and decreased rates of filled teeth (RR = 0.2, P < 0.001) at follow-up among the control group. Conclusion: A model of care relying on the principles of minimally invasive atraumatic approaches enabled the delivery of effective dental services to young children (<6 y) in remote Aboriginal Australian communities resulting in increased levels of care and improved oral health. Knowledge Transfer Statement: This cluster-randomized trial tested a multi-component model of dental care to young children with ECC in remote Aboriginal communities in Australia. The intervention, based on the atraumatic approaches using minimally invasive techniques encompassing preventive care, Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and the Hall Technique (ART-HT), delivered more restorative care and reduced the incidence of caries. This model of care was more effective than available standard care and should be incorporated into mainstream service delivery programs.

Objective Periodontal disease is associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with both conditions being highly prevalent among Australia’s Aboriginal population. This paper reflects on the lessons learned following implementation of a periodontal intervention in the Central Australian region of the Northern Territory among Aboriginal adults with CKD. Results Between Oct 2016 and May 2019, research staff recruited 102 eligible participants. This was far below the anticipated recruitment rate. The challenges faced, and lessons learned, were conceptualised into five specific domains. These included: (1) insufficient engagement with the Aboriginal community and Aboriginal community-controlled organisations; (2) an under-appreciation of the existing and competing patient commitments with respect to general health and wellbeing, and medical treatment to enable all study commitments; (3) most study staff employed from outside the region; (4) potential participants not having the required number of teeth; (5) invasive intervention that involved travel to, and time at, a dental clinic. A more feasible research model, which addresses the divergent needs of participants, communities and service partners is required. This type of approach, with sufficient time and resourcing to ensure ongoing engagement, partnership and collaboration in co-design throughout the conduct of research, challenges current models of competitive, national research funding.

OBJECTIVES:Management of dental caries under dental general anaesthesia (DGA) in young children improves their quality of life. A randomized controlled trial was undertaken to test the changes in oral health-related quality of life among children treated under a DGA or managed using the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment and Hall crown approaches (ARTs). METHODS:Children scheduled for a DGA for the management of dental caries after assessment at the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia were invited to participate. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Child oral health-related quality of life (COHRQoL) was evaluated through the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and the child-specific Caries Impacts and Experiences Questionnaire for Children (CARIES-QC) at baseline and 12 months after consent. The changes in child oral health-related quality of life were analysed on an intention-to-treat basis. Paired t-test and Wilcoxon's matched-pairs rank test were used for within-group comparison and t-test, Mann-Whitney test, and test of proportions for between-group comparisons. Linear regression was used for multivariable analyses of the follow-up scores. RESULTS:Sixty-five parents/carers agreed to participate and were randomized (Test = 32; Control = 33). Mean age = 4.7 years, SD 1.1; 51% male. At baseline, there were no statistically significant differences in age and sex between the groups; however, the ARTs group reported higher ECOHIS scores. At follow-up, both the ARTs and DGA groups had lower ECOHIS scores (20.7 vs 12.9 and 14.4 vs 13.3, respectively) and CARIES-QC scores (12.6 vs 7.1 and 9.9 vs 8.4, respectively). The within-group differences in the ARTs group were statistically significant while the differences in the DGA group were not, P < .01 and P > .05, respectively. In a linear regression of the follow-up scores, being in the DGA group increased the follow-up scores, but it was no longer statistically significant while baseline impact scores were significantly associated with greater follow-up scores for both the ECOHIS and the CARIES-QC, P < .01. CONCLUSION:The child oral health-related quality life among children scheduled for dental general anaesthesia improved after receiving minimally invasive, atraumatic restorative treatments of dental caries.

Background: Aboriginal children in the Kimberley/Pilbara region of Western Australia (WA) experience dental decay at more than 3 times the rate of non-Aboriginal children, the majority of which remains untreated. A simple alternative, Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART), approach to manage dental decay using principally hand instruments to prepare the cavity and without local anaesthesia in children has been shown to be successful. The approach reduced the need for specialist care, and was clinically successful, acceptable by children and parents, and cost-effective. This approach has implications for dental services delivery in rural and remote communities where access to dental care is poor. The aim of the study was to test the feasibility of the ART model of care in rural and remote communities of the Kimberley in WA. Methods: The study design was a pragmatic two-armed, delayed intervention, cluster RCT. Communities with the expected number of children (n=15) in the target age (0-6-year-old) were invited to participate. Participating communities were randomised into the early intervention (test) or delayed intervention (control) arm of the study. Participating parents completed a questionnaire and the children provided with a baseline dental health assessment. Early intervention children were offered dental treatment. Delayed intervention children were advised to seek care through the standard care options available to the community and will be offered dental treatment as part of the study at the 12-month follow-up. The primary outcome was the number of children provided with the needed dental treatment and/or referred for specialist dental care. Results: Twenty-six communities were selected and the majority of communities (n=25) have agreed to participate. Wide ranging community consultation and presentation of the study proposal was undertaken which included face-to-face meetings with the CEOs of the Aboriginal Controlled Health Organisations in the Kimberley as well as Chief Executive Officers (CEO) of the selected communities and Chairpersons of the community councils. An Aboriginal study reference group was formed with representation from the local Aboriginal Health Organisations. As at the end of June 2018 recruitment has occurred in 12 communities (n=150) with participation ranging from 6-24 children. Challenges: Consultations with the community representatives and the CEOs and the community councils was well-received and the study proposal was supported, however, engagement at the individual level remains challenging. High mobility of the families also presented challenges in the provision of treatment and for follow-up.

BACKGROUND:The caries experience of Aboriginal children in Western Australia (WA) and elsewhere in Australia is more than twice that of non-Aboriginal children. Early childhood caries (caries among children <6 years) has a significant impact on the quality of life of children and their caregivers, and its management is demanding and commonly undertaken under general anesthesia. A randomized controlled trial using a minimally invasive dentistry approach based on Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) in metropolitan Perth, WA, has demonstrated a significant reduction in the rate of referral to a dental specialist for dental care among children with early childhood caries, potentially reducing the need for treatment under general anesthesia. The tested approach was clinically successful and was without adverse effects on child dental anxiety. The model of ART-based primary care requires further testing and development if similar outcomes for Aboriginal children in remote and rural settings are to be achieved.OBJECTIVE:The study aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a remote primary care model to deliver effective primary dental services, encompassing treatment and preventive services, to Aboriginal preschool children (based on minimally invasive approaches including ART).METHODS:This is a two-arm parallel cluster randomized controlled study in which a test group will be provided with the intervention treatment at the start of the study and a control group will be provided with the intervention treatment 12 months after study commencement (delayed intervention). Participating communities, stratified by size of community (ie, number of children in the sample frame) and baseline caries experience, will be randomly assigned using a computer-generated block randomized list into immediate (test group) or delayed intervention (control group; provided with standard care). Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Aboriginal research assistants will explain the study to the parents and assist the parents in completing the questionnaires. Participants in the randomized study will be examined at baseline and at 12 months follow-up by a calibrated examiner. Test group participants will subsequently be contacted and appropriate appointments coordinated for treatment. Control group participants will be provided with standard preventive care by the Aboriginal Health Workers and managed for treatment as per standard procedures.RESULTS:Community consultations have been undertaken and 26 communities have agreed to participate. Fieldwork is in progress to recruit study participants.CONCLUSIONS:The significance of the study lies in its holistic approach to testing the model of care. Clinical evaluations as well as oral health‒related quality of life evaluations will be undertaken. Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility evaluations will assist in the development of policy options for oral health services for rural and remote communities. The elicitation of caregiver perspectives through focus group interviews will supplement the clinical, psychosocial, and cost-utility evaluations and provide a richer evaluation of the intervention.TRIAL REGISTRATION:Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616001537448; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=371735 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/70UMxndFZ).REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER:RR1-10.2196/10322.