Jennifer Gallagher

King's College London | KCL · Dental Institute

Objective To evaluate the effect of childhood dental attendance pattern on self‐rated oral health in middle adulthood among the British population. Methods Data from the 1970 British Cohort Study involving participants born in England, Scotland, and Wales were used. Self‐rated oral health was assessed at age 46. Childhood dental attendance pattern...

Aim To study to model future clinical dental workforce scenarios in Malaysia, in relation to population need–demand, to inform future change. Materials and Methods A system dynamics (SD) model was developed in Vensim-software to model the need/demand and supply for dental care across public–private sectors over 3 decades (2010–2040). This model in...

The global population ageing, and the pace of ageing is accelerating. Although people are living longer, these additional years are not being gained in health, and disability, chronic and long-term conditions increase with age. In response to the challenges of an ageing population, the United Nations and World Health Organisation declared 2021–2030...

Background Oral diseases affect nearly half of the global population, presenting significant challenges in fragile and conflict-affected states. Despite comprising a population of over one billion people, oral health data and comprehensive evidence on oral health system strengthening on these countries are limited. This study, therefore, aims to ex...

Background Globally, there is growing attention towards health system strengthening, and the importance of quality in health systems. However, fragile and conflict-affected states present particular challenges. The aim of this study was to explore health system strengthening in fragile and conflict-affected states by synthesising the evidence from...

Introduction: The aim of this operational research workforce project was to build, and test, a clinical dental workforce model for Malaysia to address population need/demand with a view to informing health policy. Methods: A system dynamics (SD) model was developed to take account of population oral health needs and demands and dental workforce sup...

Background Telehealth technologies are playing an increasing role in healthcare. This study aimed to review the literature relating to the use of telehealth technologies in care homes with a focus on teledentistry. Methods Khangura et al.’s (Evidence summaries: the evolution of a rapid review approach. Syst Rev 2012;1:10) rapid review method inclu...

Background Professionalism is expected of health professionals and advocated by professional regulators in the United Kingdom (UK). Concepts of professionalism have evolved in sociological discourse and its meaning for dentistry is unclear. It is, none-the-less, considered a core domain of dental education and professional practice by the United Ki...

Objective To explore the career decision-making journey towards dentistry and identify possible challenges and supports in this process as perceived by academically able, science-minded, London school pupils and their careers teachers. Methods A mixed-methods study was conducted using a purposive sample of London schools. Focus groups (n = 13) with...

Despite being largely preventable, oral diseases are the major contributor to chronic conditions nationally and globally. If left untreated, oral diseases have many harmful effects throughout life on our patients including pain and infection, and can lead to difficulties with eating, sleeping, socialising and wellbeing. Oral health inequalities exi...

Serious games have been shown to be effective learning tools in various disciplines, including dental education. Serious-game learning environments allow learners to improve knowledge and skills. GRAPHIC (Games Research Applied to Public Health with Innovative Collaboration), a serious game for dental public health, was designed to simulate a town,...

Background There is a social expectation that dentists demonstrate professionalism. Although the General Dental Council puts it at the heart of their regulatory agenda, there is not yet consensus on the meaning and implications of the term. Objective To explore practising dentists’ understanding of the character traits commonly associated with pro...

Background: The United Kingdom (UK) has a well-developed health and social care system, and strong research governance. However, there is limited evidence to guide best research practice among vulnerable older people in care homes and there is no consensus on clinical trial methodology that is deliverable in this setting. Objectives: To review t...

Aim To explore young people's perceptions of dentistry as a potential future career, including features which would attract or deter them from wanting to become dentists and the perceived influences on these views. Methods Purposive sampling of London schools was undertaken. Exploration of academically-able, science-minded young people's (aged 14-1...

Introduction Regulatory processes for Oral health care professionals are considered essential for patient safety and to ensure health workforce quality. The global variation in their registration and regulation is under-reported in the literature. Regulatory systems could become a barrier to their national and international movement, leading to los...

An ageing population, an estimated 47 million people currently living with dementia, and predictions of a threefold increase in people living with a diagnosis by 2050 have led the WHO to declare dementia a public health priority. Emerging research also suggests that dementia is linked to poor oral health and that oral health declines alongside cogn...

Background In Sierra Leone (SL), a low-income country in West Africa, dental care is very limited, largely private, and with services focused in the capital Freetown. There is no formal dental education. Ten dentists supported by a similar number of dental care professionals (DCPs) serve a population of over 7.5 million people. The objective of thi...

Management of dental caries in adolescents presents a population health challenge; thus, it is important to use national epidemiological data to inform policy and action to improve oral health and address inequalities. The aims of this research were to examine dental caries clusters among 15-year-olds, taking account of caries thresholds, and explo...

Background The number and proportion of older people globally is growing faster than that of any other age group. At the same time the number of people retaining some of their own teeth is rising. There significant differences between those living in care and their community dwelling peers, with evidence showing those in care having fewer teeth and...

Aim/Objectives To present the findings of the challenges relating to access to dental care for older people in care homes from the Fluoride Interventions in Care Homes (FInCH) Trial. Methods Thematic analysis of 11 interviews / focus groups with care home managers and care staff were carried out against a framework informed by the literature drawi...

This paper highlights the process of transition to a female majority for dentistry, examines various influences on this trajectory, and considers the implications for the profession, health systems and patients, as well as individual dentists. This celebratory transition has been facilitated by educational systems that provide both males and female...

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced faculties including dental schools into a ‘new normal’, where the adoption of remote or distance learning is required to minimise the risk of infection. Synchronous learning historically was favoured due to the perceived advantage of ‘real time’ interactions between instructors and learners; these interactions are n...

Background Dental caries is the most prevalent condition globally. Despite improvements over the past few decades, there remains a significant disease burden in childhood. Epidemiological surveys provide insight to disease patterns and trends, and have traditionally focused on obvious decay which are inconsistent with contemporary clinical criteria...

Background: There is strong evidence for managing the risk of dental caries, notably dose-dependent use of fluoride based on risk. Specific guidance is lacking on higher fluoride use in older people in care homes and prevention is often omitted from dental care plans. Objectives: To introduce a risk-based preventative approach to existing routin...

Aim To explore dentists' perceptions and use of social media generally and in relation to their professional careers, together with its implications for professionalism. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with dentists in their early, mid- and late careers working in a range of settings based in London. Participants were purposively...

Little is known about how community-dwelling people with dementia, as well as their carers, look after their oral health and use dental care. This exploratory study aimed to explore the beliefs, experiences and practices about oral health of people living with dementia and their carers. We used an ethnographic qualitative approach conducting face-t...

Medical education and training of health professionals are linked with their recruitment and retention. Practising as a competent health professional requires life-long continuous training and therefore training structures in health systems appear to influence doctors job satisfaction, their well-being and their intentions to remain in that health...

Background Dental caries is the most prevalent condition globally. Despite improvements over the past few decades, there remains a significant disease burden in childhood. Epidemiological surveys provide insight to disease patterns and trends, have traditionally focused on obvious decay which are inconsistent with contemporary clinical criteria. Th...

Introduction The National Health Service’s reliance on overseas doctors and nurses, unlike dentists, has been widely reported. As the United Kingdom (UK) leaves the European Union, an understanding of the migration trends and possible influences are important to inform future planning. Aim To examine trends in the profile of UK registered dentists...

Objective The dental workforce is facing unprecedented change globally as a result of multiple influences. There is a need for research informed action to map possible drivers for change at the national level and examine their potential implications in order to shape the dental workforce to serve population needs. The objective of this study was to...

Objective Sierra Leone (SL), with a population of over 7 million people, has a critical health workforce shortage. This research explores the views of key players on population oral health needs and demands, the challenges of oral and dental care delivery, and professional careers in dentistry, in order to inform future capacity building. Material...

Objectives The objectives of this research were to compare trends in applications and admissions to dentistry and medicine by sociodemographic status, country/region, academic experience and attainment, for UK domiciled students, and also to compare the odds of gaining admission to each course. Methods Secondary analysis of student data from Univer...

Oral health workforce policy has often lacked systematic connections with broader health policy, and system-based reforms that would enable more effective responses to future needs of the population. The aim of the study was to better understand challenges facing oral health workforce policy and planning and identify potential solutions. In-depth i...

Background: In dentistry, the use of electronic patient records for research is underexplored. The aim of this paper is to describe a case study process of obtaining research data (sociodemographic, clinical and workforce) from electronic primary care dental records, and outlining data cleaning and validation strategies. This study was undertaken...

Aim To investigate clinical dental technicians' (CDTs) current working practices and their perception as registered dental professionals regarding their practice of dentistry, role and relationships in the dental team and within the UK healthcare system. Methods A postal questionnaire was sent to all 304 CDTs registered with the United Kingdom Gene...

Background Preventable oral diseases such as dental caries remain common in the United Kingdom. Clustering of poor health is observed within deprived communities, such as inner-city areas, where elevated levels of dental need are associated with lower uptake of dental care. Successful oral health promotion (OHP) initiatives are contingent upon effe...

Aims To explore the impact of dedicated training to extend the skills of primary care practitioners on the quality of endodontic care, using clinical, radiographic and patient-related outcomes. Methods The quality of endodontic treatment performed at the beginning and end of training to become dentists with extended skills (DES) in endodontics was...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how adults may be supported in maintaining their oral health and to provide dental students with better knowledge of how the oral health of community living older people can be maintained and to make recommendations. Design/methodology/approach A pilot qualitative study involving eight dental stude...

Objectives To explore the feasibility of measuring quality of endodontic care provided by general dental practitioners (GDPs), using clinical, radiographic and patient-related outcomes, as well as understanding practitioner views and estimating financial costs. Methods Multi-faceted mixed-methods two-part study involving retrospective analysis of...

As we debate shaping the future oral health workforce within the UK, to meet the needs of current and future populations, it is helpful to take an international perspective on this very important issue. Globally, there is a strong recognition that human resources for health (HRH) are fundamentally important to deliver effective care, accessible to...

Objective The aim of this review was to examine the migration motives, the barriers to and facilitators of integration of international dental graduates, compared with nurses and doctors in the United Kingdom. Methods Electronic databases Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Knowledge and OECD publications were systematically searched for English l...

Little is known about the burden and impact of orofacial pain in deprived areas, and whether it mediates the relationship between socio-economic position (SEP) and impacts on daily life. We analysed data from a representative sample of 2,168 adults, aged 16-65 years, from the East London Oral Health Inequality study. Participants completed a valida...

The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of Saudi female dentists and dental students on their motivation for and expectations of a career in dentistry. Twenty-one semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of Saudi female dentists (postgraduate students, generalists, specialists, academics, and unemployed), along...

Objective To evaluate patients’ views on health service initiatives established to improve uptake of NHS primary dental care amongst adult patients in a socially deprived area, comparing practices with extended and regular contract capacity. Study design Service evaluation and cross-sectional survey. Method Questionnaire survey of patients attend...

This position paper outlines the areas of competence and learning outcomes of “The Graduating European Dentist” that specifically relates to Dentistry in Society. In addition to treating individual patients, a Dentist must be able to focus on promoting health, monitoring interventions and implementing effective strategies of care at community and p...

Background: In recent years, the value of co-production has become embedded in the social care agenda. Care home residents are at significantly higher risk of dental diseases and often rely on the care team for support. It is therefore vital that staff are trained and confident in delivering evidence based oral care to their clients. Methods: Th...

Serious gaming claims to provide an interactive and motivational approach to learning; hence, it is being increasingly used in various disciplines, including dentistry. GRAPHIC (Games Research Applied to Public Health with Innovative Collaboration)-II, a serious game for dental public health, was used by dental undergraduates at King’s College Lond...

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the association between early life factors and dental caries among 5-year-old Chinese children. Methods: Data from 9,722 preschool children who participated in the third National Oral Health Survey of China were analysed. Information on early life (birth weight, breastfeeding and age when toothbrushing sta...

Background An appropriate level of human resources for oral health [HROH] is required to meet the oral health needs of population, and enable maximum improvement in health outcomes. The aim of this study was to estimate the required HROH to meet the oral health needs of the World Health Organization [WHO] reference group of 12-year-olds in China an...

Objective: To explore ethnic disparities in oral health related quality of life (OHQoL) among adults, and the role that socioeconomic factors play in that association. Research design: Data from 705 adults from a socially deprived, ethnically diverse metropolitan area of London (England) were analysed for this study. Ethnicity was self-assigned...

Background Dental care seeking behaviour is often driven by symptoms. The value of oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) measures to predict utilisation of dental services is unknown. This study aims to explore the association between OHRQoL and problem-oriented dental attendance among adults. Methods We analysed cross-sectional data for 70...

Objective To explore the experiences of primary care dentists following training to enhance endodontic skills and their views on the implications for the NHS. Design Qualitative study using anonymised free text questionnaires. Setting Primary care general dental services within the National Health Service (NHS) in London, United Kingdom. Subjects a...

OBJECTIVES/AIMS: Health Education England (HEE) London developed an innovative 2-year pilot educational and training initiative for enhancing skills in periodontology for dentists and dental hygienists/therapists in 2011. This study explores the perceptions and experiences of those involved in initiating, designing, delivering and participating in...

Aim To compare trends in the volume, socio-demography and academic experience of UK applicants and entrants to medicine and dentistry in the UK with university in general, before and after the major increase in university fees in England in 2012. Methods Descriptive trend analyses of University and College Admissions Services (UCAS) data for focuse...

Aim To compare trends in the volume, socio-demography and academic experience of UK applicants and entrants to medicine and dentistry in the UK with university in general, before and after the major increase in university fees in England in 2012.Methods Descriptive trend analyses of University and College Admissions Services (UCAS) data for focused...

Objective This study examined individual and contextual factors which predict the dental care received by patients in a state-funded primary dental care training facility in England. Methods Routine clinical and demographic data were extracted from a live dental patient management system in a state-funded facility using novel methods. The data, sp...

(SAV)

Background. Families of children undergoing gen- eral anaesthesia (GA) for caries management requested that oral health advice is delivered using audio-visual media. Objective. To compare an oral health education computer game to one-to-one education. Design. A blind randomised controlled trial of 4- to 10-year-old children scheduled for GA due to...

This study explored catastrophic health expenditure in China, due to out-of-pocket payments for dental care, and its associated individual- and contextual-level factors. We pooled data from 31,566 adults who participated in the third National Oral Health Survey with province-level data from different sources. We defined catastrophic dental health e...

Aim To explore the association between contextual factors and periodontal disease. Methods We pooled individual‐level data from 20,204 35–44‐year‐olds and 9,666 65–74‐year‐ olds, who participated in the 3rd National Oral Health Survey in China (2005), with province‐level data from different sources. The association of provincial macroeconomic fact...

Aim: To devise measurement instruments for 'quality' of root canal treatment to assess training and outcome of general dental practitioners working within primary care settings. Method: Scoring systems relating to quality of root canal treatment were developed using expert consensus and published literature. Domains scored included the Treatment...

Background: Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are biologically heterogeneous tumours. The objectives of this study were to describe trends in incidence of HNCs amongst London residents by sex, age, anatomical site, deprivation and ethnicity. Methods: Annual age-standardised incidence rates [ASRs] were calculated on HNC registration data, overall and...

: A pilot scheme was established across London to train NHS primary dental care practitioners to provide endodontic treatment of moderate difficulty. It was co-led by the former London Deanery (Health Education England: North West London) and local NHS commissioners. This research aimed to explore key stakeholders' perceptions about the purpose of...

Patients receiving primary dental care may occasionally require conscious sedation as an adjunct to care. It is one of a range of options to support anxious patients or those undergoing difficult procedures. The aim of this study was to examine patterns of conscious sedation within primary dental care in relation to patient demography, deprivation...

Introduction: It is important to understand career expectations of emerging dental graduates if human resources are to be harnessed in support of oral health. The aims of this study were to explore students' career expectations and their perceived influences, and to examine variation according to student and school characteristics. Methods: All...

Objective: This study explored, and compared, the attitudes of student groups trained at the University of Portsmouth Dental Academy (UPDA) in 2010/2011 towards dental interprofessional education (IPE). Methods: The study population consisted of fifth-year student dentists (n = 80) from King's College London Dental Institute, second- and third-y...

A serious game for Dental Public Health (DPH), GRAPHIC, was developed to support students in designing health promotion programmes at King’s College London. Based on the evaluation data from an initial pilot study, there was evidence that GRAPHIC had the potential to be a global learning tool. Taking this evidence into account, a new version of GRA...

Background: Increased life expectancy, retention of a natural dentition often heavily restored, and increasing risks of oral disease mean that older people have particular dental needs and yet uptake of care is low. A new health and wellbeing centre in south London offering student-delivered care has been built to serve the local community. Communi...

Throughout the life course, oral diseases are some of the most common non-communicable diseases globally, and in Europe. Human resources for oral health are fundamental to healthcare systems in general and dentistry is no exception. As political and healthcare systems change, so do forms of governance. The aim of this paper is to examine human reso...

Background: Dentists with a special interest hold enhanced skills enabling them to treat cases of intermediate complexity. The aim of this study was to explore primary dental care practitioners' views of dentists with a special interest (DwSIs) in Endodontics in London, with reference to an educational and service initiative established by (the fo...

In primary care dentistry, strategies to reconfigure the traditional boundaries of various dental professional groups by task sharing and role substitution have been encouraged in order to meet changing oral health needs. The aim of this research was to investigate the potential for skill mix use in primary dental care in England based on the under...

A medium- and long-term perspective is required in human resource development to ensure that future needs and demands for oral healthcare are met by the most appropriate health professionals. This paper presents a case study of the Sultanate of Oman, one of the Gulf States with a current population of 3.8 million, which has initiated dental trainin...