Australian-first study in public dentistry

Professor Hanny Calache demonstrates the technique with Matthew

In an Australian-first study DHSV is investigating whether a minimal intervention dentistry approach works in adolescents who are at high risk to developing dental caries (decay).

The DSHV team has started recruiting about 500 teenagers from 12 community dental clinics around Melbourne.

The study, to run for two years, will be led by Professor Hanny Calache. Prof Calache said the study would look at testing whether implementing this approach in a group of high risk adolescents, aged 11-14 years, is likely to be ‘cost effective ’ compared to ‘current practice’ in achieving positive oral health outcomes.

Minimal intervention dentistry (MID) is a multi-pronged approach, based on the premise that early decay can be healed by the application of products such as fluoride varnish and changes to diet and oral hygiene habits to arrest the progression of the disease.

It means trying not to drill and fill because this eventually destroys the tooth, but rather prevent decay.

The intervention group will receive the preventive strategies associated with the MID approach and the control group will receive standard care at the community dental clinics.

 The expected primary outcomes of the study are to:

• Demonstrate a reduction in new and progressing decay amongst the participants who have undertaken this approach
• Demonstrate a cost effectiveness of the MID approach in this study population
• Assess the acceptance of MID approach amongst clinicians, management and the study population