Dental Public Health Research Group
Research group leader
Summary and principal aims
The aim of the group is to plan, conduct and implement high quality research in oral health utilising the theories and empirical traditions of Dental Public Health, Sociology and Psychology with the purposes of improving the oral health of individuals and communities.
The interdisciplinary foundations of Dental Public Health bring the theoretical and methodological traditions of the social sciences to bridge the gap between dental and other fields of research.
Objectives
- To explain the experience of oral health and disease from the individual, community and population perspectives.
- To explore the social and psychological aspects of oral health.
- Identify ways in which the oral health of communities can be improved.
Research areas
Oral health and quality of life
Children's and young people’s oral health (CYOH)
Key achievements
Increased planning ability and confidence
Our research of dental outreach training used qualitative evaluations from different perspectives to inform the design of an examiner-masked randomised controlled trial that provided robust evidence that outreach increased students´ treatment planning ability and confidence. This evidence is reflected in national educational policy and has been used by other schools developing such programs.
Cochrane systematic reviews
We have taken lead roles in Cochrane systematic reviews. The review of powered versus manual brushes for oral health was widely cited in national and international lay press. Other reviews have questioned the use of topical fluorides during orthodontic treatment and have not supported the use of occlusal adjustment in the prevention or management of temperomandibular disorders.
Focusing on the family through the medium of food
Changing Families Changing Food (Socio-historical changes in food patterns in Bradford and Barnsley) is a multidisciplinary project focusing on the family through the medium of food. Directly applicable to common risk factor approaches, the dental component will consider the transmission of values through generations by collecting data from children and parents. Other aspects will consider obesity and children´s understanding of food.
Oral cancer screening
Members of the group have undertaken a number of projects to evaluate oral cancer screening and to determine the cost effectiveness of opportunistic screening in a primary care environment. Data suggest that screening in primary dental care may be feasible but further research is needed. On-going projects are investigating the natural history of oral cancer and studying the factors which influence a dentist´s decision to diagnose and refer relevant lesions from primary to secondary care.
Pan European Federation of IADR meeting
The group organised a very successful symposium on Current Debates in Oral Health Related Quality of Life at the recent Pan European Federation of IADR meeting, 10th - 11th September.
The presentations at that symposium are available to download from the box on the right side of this window.
Academic staff
- Dr Sarah Baker
- Professor Peter G Robinson
- Dr Phillip Benson
- Professor Chris Deery
- Mr Tom Dyer
- Dr Barry Gibson
- Professor Mike Lennon
- Dr Zoe Marshman
- Dr Jan Owens
- Mrs Alison Patrick
- Professor Helen Rodd
- Professor Paul Speight
Research staff
Postgraduate research students
Contact details
For further information, about Quality of Life and Evaluation of Health Care please contact Professor Peter G Robinson at
email : peter.g.robinson@sheffield.ac.uk
For further information, about Children and Young People's Oral Health please contact Dr Zoe Marshman at
email : z.marshman@sheffield.ac.uk