Fluorosis in adults: a feasibility study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A feasibility study to assess the recruitment rates of adults assessing the effectiveness of fluoridated water
IRAS ID
216233
Contact name
Iain Pretty
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 31 days
Research summary
When researching the effectiveness of water fluoridation the majority of research to date has focused on children. One reason for this is the availability of an easy to access population of children through schools. There is a need to assess the effectiveness of water fluoridation in the adult population, however it is unknown how willing adults would be to consent and be recruited to a study of this nature. To assess this patients will be recruited to a study to investigate the prevalence of fluorosis in adults.
Dental patients who are 18 years of age and older and due to attend their general dental practice for a routine appointment such as a dental check-up, will be issued an information sheet at least one week prior to their appointment. After their appointment they will be reminded of the study by their dentist and, if willing, directed to the researcher in a separate room of the dental practice. After taking informed consent an image of the patient’s front teeth will be taken, with a lip retractor in place. Patients will also be asked to provide consent for the research team to access their dental records. Levels of dental restorations will be recorded over the past two years and permission will be sought for access over the next two years. This future access to records is important to inform the design of future studies.
Outcome measures will be the willingness to be recruited, the levels of restorations and the levels of fluorosis in the population.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/SC/0672
Date of REC Opinion
2 Dec 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion