Changing Habits tO Prevent ChIld CariEs (CHOICE): a randomised controlled trial of a family- focused therapeutic conversation delivered by dental nurses in primary care

• Background:
Child dental caries continues to be a problem in the UK despite considered efforts to ameliorate it; with a higher prevalence in deprived communities reflecting the social determinants of health. Prevention of child dental caries is a policy priority across the UK while dental extraction is the leading cause of hospital admission for children aged 5-9 years. The CHOICE Trial delivers a brief behaviour change intervention (the Dental RECUR – Brief Negotiated Interview; DR-BNI) that provides a supportive goal-centred approach to teach and motivate primary caregivers (usually a parent), as the key agents of behaviour change in families, to change old habits that lead to tooth decay (lack of twice daily tooth brushing and sugar in the diet) in favour of health promoting habits.
• Methods:
CHOICE aims to compare the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the behavioural intervention DR-BNI in addition to usual care in 3–7-year-old children versus usual care alone. CHOICE is designed as a two-arm randomised controlled trial (RCT) and is an outcome assessor-blinded trial and will be conducted in general dental practices across the U.K..
Discussion:
The CHOICE trial intervention may lead to the adoption of healthy behaviours relevant to improving children’s oral health. The healthy behaviours can become part of new daily routines within a family setting which can result in healthier habits that are long lasting, and the whole family can potentially benefit. The intervention may prevent at-risk children in primary care needing more invasive dental treatments including extractions under general anaesthetic.