Co-development and feasibility of an implementation strategy to improve the adoption of clinical guidelines for periodontal treatment in primary dental care
Periodontal disease
Current interventions as of 10/06/2026: The intervention will be an implementation strategy that will be codeveloped with key informants (clinical teams, service commissioners and patients) to address identified barriers and leverage facilitators. The project will recruit participants into different work packages (WP). For WP 1, key informant groups (commissioners of dental services, patients, dentists, dental hygienists and receptionists) will be interviewed to identify factors that can encourage or impede the implementation of the BSP guidelines in primary dental care. In WP2, the key informant groups will participate in two co-design workshops to develop an implementation strategy. In WP3, patients with periodontal disease will be recruited into the study and will receive periodontal treatment, over multiple visits, as recommended by the BSP guidelines. _____ Previous interventions: The intervention will be an implementation strategy that will be codeveloped with key informants (clinical teams, service commissioners and patients) to address identified barriers and leverage facilitators. The project will recruit participants into different work packages (WP). For WP 2 and 3, key informant groups (commissioners of dental services, patients, dentists, dental hygienists and receptionists) will be interviewed to identify factors that can encourage or impede the implementation of the BSP guidelines in primary dental care. In WP3, the key informant groups will participate in two co-design workshops to develop an implementation strategy. In WP4, patients with periodontal disease will be recruited into the study and will receive periodontal treatment, over multiple visits, as recommended by the BSP guidelines.
Current key inclusion criteria as of 10/06/2026: 1. Work Package 1: Practice Recruitment 1.1. All general dental practices (GDPs) within the NHS North East London Integrated Care Board area — including City of London, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Newham, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, and Havering — will be invited to participate. 1.2. To be eligible, GDPs must: 1.2.1. Have a cohort of at least 250 patients who regularly attend the practice. 1.2.2. Provide periodontal care under an active NHS contract. 1.2.3. Include a dental hygienist as part of the clinical team (i.e. they provide routine scaling and polishing in primary care). 2. Work Packages 1 and 2: Staff and Patient Recruitment 2.1. From each participating GDP, the following staff will be recruited: 2.1.1. At least one dentist 2.1.2. At least one dental hygienist 2.1.3. At least one receptionist involved in the administrative (e.g. referral process, booking appointments) and/or clinical management of periodontal patients 2.2. Up to two adult periodontal patients will also be recruited from each GDP. These patients should be at different stages of treatment. 3. Work Package 3: Patient Eligibility and Volume 3.1. Eligible GDPs should see at least one eligible patient with periodontal disease per week. _____ Previous key inclusion criteria: 1. Work Package 1: Practice Recruitment 1.1. All general dental practices (GDPs) within the NHS North East London Integrated Care Board area — including City of London, Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Newham, Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham, and Havering — will be invited to participate. 1.2. To be eligible, GDPs must: 1.2.1. Have a cohort of at least 250 patients who regularly attend the practice. 1.2.2. Provide periodontal care under an active NHS contract. 1.2.3. Include a dental hygienist as part of the clinical team (i.e. they provide routine scaling and polishing in primary care). 2. Work Packages 2 and 3: Staff and Patient Recruitme
GDPs that are not situated in the Northeast of London, do not see patients with periodontal disease or do not provide treatment for periodontal patients Children or adult patients without periodontal disease.