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D.O.I.

10.1922/CDH_00248DPHRaison

Action

• Heather Raison
• Helen Parsley
• Emma Hall-Scullin
• Yvonne Dailey
• Mary Cronin

Abstract

Initial impetus for action: Oral health is not equitably distributed. More deprived areas experience appreciably worse oral health outcomes.
Oral health improvement programmes in Local Authorities (LA) seek to reduce these inequalities but have diminished in recent years
following the COVID-19 pandemic. LAs have also endured funding cuts to public health budgets, placing a greater emphasis on the need
for establishing a clear prioritisation matrix for oral health improvement interventions. Solution: A prioritisation matrix that considered
both the importance and do-ability of oral health improvement interventions was developed. Both are composite measures. The importance
comprised evidence of benefit, impact on inequalities, alignment with national/local priorities and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. The
do-ability considered the available support from stakeholders, building/equipment requirements, workforce issues and investment funding. A
working group was necessary to inform the do-ability aspect of the prioritisation matrix. Scores were assigned to each criterion, the sum
of the scores informed whether the intervention was eliminated, aspirational or implemented based on predetermined thresholds. Outcome:
The prioritisation matrix ensured a transparent and systematic approach for intervention selection, which reflected local resources and
priorities. Moreover, this tool should help ensure the most effective, equitable, practical and sustainable interventions are chosen having
the greatest impact on improving oral health outcomes.
Keywords: oral health, inequalities, oral health improvement, early interventions