PhD Studentships

The Impact of Inter Professional Education in the Dental Curriculum on Student’s Views towards Social Accountability.

This work will look to evaluate the current Inter Professional Engagement (IPE) module undertaken by students, and the impact of this on their views and attitudes towards disadvantaged groups and social accountability as a dental professional.

This will help to optimise the impact of IPE to Peninsula and act as a framework to foster positive attitudes.

Find out more 

Oral infection and neurological sequala: Cell mechanisms and potential interviews

Oral infections release inflammatory mediations into circulation. It is known that these can pass the blood brain barrier. Research will be done into the mechanism by which this
occurs, resulting in elevated risk of ischemic brain injury. This work will help to inform how this can be addressed through anti-bacterial or anti-inflammatory interventions.

Post Doctoral Training Fellowships

Identifying Factors Influencing Oral Health Habits and Dental care Access among Children and Young people with Autism: Evidence synthesis and qualitative stakeholder research

This research is focused on how dental access can be improved for children and your people with ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) by investigating the barriers and enablers to adopting good oral health, and the factors influencing access. This can help to influence pathways and recommendations to healthcare providers, resulting in reduction in disease.

Diagnosis and Prevention of related Odontogenic Tumours and association with Gene Mutations

Bone marrow ageing process may contribute to Ameloblastoma (odontogenic tumour). This study will explore this link and how mutations in bone marrow can result in these types of tumour. This research can help to inform strategies for prevention.

Aerosol control and mitigation for dental clinical aerosol generating procedures (AGPs)

COVID-19 related research, furthering understanding of the implications of aerosol generating procedures and use on open plan clinics and how this can be controlled.

Community Projects

Integrated care pathway for people experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage

This work aims to gain insight of the experiences of patients with complex needs attending the Plymouth or Exeter community clinics, as well as those dental and other health and social care professionals. We are seeking to determine the impact of the clinics, factors influencing integration of services and identify areas for improvement. The evaluation will also contribute to national knowledge on the needs of patients experiencing severe and multiple disadvantage and to support the implementation of similar programmes across the UK.

For further information, please contact: martha.paisi@plymouth.ac.uk

Oral healthcare for care experienced children (funded by The Borrow Foundation)

This research aims to provide insights into, and evidence of, the oral health behaviours, dental experience and access to dental services of care experience children and young people (including care leavers).

Working with children and young people in care and care leavers and other stakeholders in a co-design approach, the research team have conducted/are conducting:

· a rapid review of the co-design approaches used with vulnerable children and young people in health-related research (completed)
· scoping reviews of the existing evidence relating to the dental health of children and adolescents in care (completed)
· interviews with oral health providers, children/adolescents in care, young care leavers, foster carers and support staff to explore experiences of adopting good oral health behaviours and accessing and providing dental care, and to identify recommendations on optimising dental care for care experienced children and young people.

Following analysis of findings, a workshop with stakeholders and external experts will be held to reach consensus on recommendations for improving dental care and experiences of children and adolescents in care.

The findings of this research will be used to improve the oral health care for care experienced children and add to national and international knowledge about improving oral health behaviours and dental care access for this group.

Find out more – link the below:

Plymouth Sunny Smiles Project

A Scoping Review of the Oral Health Status, Oral Health Behaviours and Interventions to Improve the Oral Health of Children and Young People in Care and Care Leavers

Access to Dental Care for Children and Young People in Care and Care Leavers: A Global Scoping Review

Co-production of health and social science research with vulnerable children and young people: A rapid review

For further information, please contact: martha.paisi@plymouth.ac.uk or jo.erwin@plymouth.ac.uk

Oral health care for autistic children and young people

This project aims to gather insights into oral health, the experience of dental care and access to mainstream dental services for autistic children and young people (CYP). We are exploring what factors influence the oral health of autistic children and young people from the perspective of autistic children/young people, their parents/carers and dental health professionals.

This project is working closely with our research advisory group which includes autistic CYP and their parents. It has also been informed by a series of collaborative workshops with members of a young club for autistic CYP. The research team have conducted/are conducting:

  • a systematic review of the literature on the factors influencing oral health behaviours, access to dental care for autistic CYP and the delivery of this care (completed)
  • fifty-five interviews with autistic CYP, parents/carers and oral health providers to explore experiences of caring for their oral health and accessing and providing dental care. They also explored participants’ views on how autistic CYP and their families could be better supported to care for their oral health and to access dental care (completed)
  • co-produced video exploring autistic CYP views and experiences of caring for their oral health and visiting the dentist (completed)
  • a national online survey of parents/carers of autistic CYP and oral health providers to explore those issues and recommendations identified in the qualitative interviews.

Following analysis of findings, a workshop with stakeholders and external experts will be held to reach consensus on recommendations for improving support for positive oral health behaviour and access to dental care for autistic CYP.

The vision is for the research findings to inform the development of dental care services for autistic CYP in Plymouth through the Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE). We will also share the findings with the NHS England Southwest Managed Clinical Network for Special Care and Paediatric Dentistry to further improve oral health support and dental care provision for autistic CYP and associated conditions in the southwest and beyond.

Find out more by visiting the links below:

Plymouth youth autism dental project

Factors Influencing Oral Health Behaviours, Access and Provision of Dental Care for Autistic Children and Adolescents in Countries with a Very High Human Development Index: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Systematic Review

For further information, please contact: martha.paisi@plymouth.ac.uk or jo.erwin@plymouth.ac.uk