Tooth decay (or dental caries) is the most common childhood disease worldwide. Children in the North West of England have among the highest prevalence of caries in England. In 2012, 47 per cent of five-year-olds in Salford and 41 per centin Manchester had experienced tooth decay.

Professor Cynthia Pine, Consultant in Dental Public Health at Salford Royal, is Chief Investigator for two Salford-based trials aimed at improving the dental health of children and their families.

The Salford Bright Smiles Baby Study

This trial involves more than 400 children aged one-three years and their families across Salford and Manchester. It is comparing three services for preventing tooth decay in young children.

The team has also looked at how to recruit and retain parents of young children to take part in trials, with a focus on community settings.

The Dental RECUR Trial

Parents of children aged five-seven who were scheduled to have one or more teeth extracted took part in this study. It looked at a new service led by Dental Nurses trained in motivational interviewing techniques and reported its findings in January 2020. Read more about the findings here.