Lots of people put off visiting the dentist until they have a problem. Toothache can mean sleepless nights, time off work and a lot of bother. Some people even go to their doctor rather than a dentist and can end up needing antibiotics too.

RETURN is a project that created and tested materials to help adults get back into regular dental care instead of only going when something hurts.

What We Did

The project started in August 2018. For two years, we worked closely with local people to create materials that help adults return to regular dental care. You can explore these materials in the ‘RETURN Intervention Materials’ tab.

In 2020, we ran a small feasibility study to see if we could provide the materials to patients during urgent dental visits. We trained dental nurses to support patients with the materials, ensuring they understood how to use them. It worked! So, in 2021, we started a much bigger study with around 1,200 people. We asked people to be involved in the study when they attended for urgent dental appointments at one of 14 locations across Merseyside and Cheshire. Half of them received the RETURN intervention materials, provided by a dental nurse. We stayed in touch by phone, email or post (whichever people preferred) for 18 months to see if the materials helped them to visit the dentist more often. We talked to people about their experiences during that time.

Addressing Health Inequalities
Putting off dental visits is more common in poorer areas of the country and is a cause of health inequalities because decayed teeth might need to be taken out rather than just filled when dental treatment is delayed. This affects people’s smiles and how confident they feel.