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Lookup NU author(s): Jonathan Lewney, Dr Richard HolmesORCiD, Professor Judith RankinORCiD, Professor Catherine Exley
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Oxford University Press, 2019.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
Background: Inequalities in dental decay in young children persist, resulting in high admission rates for general anaesthetics for tooth extractions. Health visitors have the potential to improve dental attendance and oral health in families least likely to engage with dental services. There is little evidence on health visitor views on this. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 17 health visitors working in both affluent and deprived areas in a single UK city. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, anonymised and analysed following a constructivist grounded theory approach. Results: Knowledge of oral health was high and health visitors requested oral health education specific to the communities they worked in. Health visitors reported effective, formal referral processes to other health services but not to primary NHS dental services even when dealing with infants in pain. Health visitors interviewed were largely unaware of specific NHS dental services which reduce barriers to dental care including interpreting services and dental services for children with additional needs. Conclusions: Health visitors interviewed were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about oral health but not about dental services. Inadequate links with NHS dental services may limit their effectiveness in oral health improvement and this needs to be addressed.
Author(s): Lewney J, Holmes RD, Rankin J, Exley C
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Public Health
Year: 2019
Volume: 41
Issue: 1
Pages: e103-e108
Print publication date: 01/03/2019
Online publication date: 18/06/2018
Acceptance date: 29/05/2018
Date deposited: 01/06/2018
ISSN (print): 1741-3842
ISSN (electronic): 1741-3850
Publisher: Oxford University Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdy107
DOI: 10.1093/pubmed/fdy107
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