New research project aims to improve dental care for people with brittle bone disease

Dr Niall McGoldrick, Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant, and Research Assistant Dr Megan Crichton from the Dental Public Health team at University of Dundee, presented at the Brittle Bone Society (BBS) Annual Conference and AGM 2024, to provide an update on their current research project: ‘Improving oral healthcare pathways for people with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI)’. Dr Heather Cassie, Senior Lecturer, is Co-Investigator with Dr McGoldrick.

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), more commonly referred to as brittle bone disease, is a rare genetic condition affecting collagen formation leading to weak, fragile bones at high risk of fracture and deformities. OI can also affect growth of the jaw and commonly observed dental abnormalities include Dentinogenesis Imperfecta (DI) and malocclusions. Around half of those with OI are affected by DI. Patient and public involvement activity identified challenges experienced by people affected by OI when accessing dental treatment. These challenges include access to care, a general lack of knowledge about OI and a lack of confidence by some dental professionals in primary care to treat those affected. Their current research builds on this involvement activity to gain a better understanding of what changes could be made to improve the dental care experiences for both service users and providers.

Dr McGoldrick opened the presentation with reference to a patient quote ‘I hope access to dentists and other essential care gets easier for us all. I hope that things will be better as I grow up’ highlighting that the patient voice is always at the heart of their work. Dr Crichton talked through their exploration of the OI literature and highlighted a need for more evidence-based research in this area. The audience were then taken through the next phases of the research where patients, public and professionals will be invited to take part in semi-structured interviews for more in-depth discussions on how the pathways for accessing dental care and how care is delivered can be improved. The session ended with an interactive discussion to gain input from the audience and capture any further key themes or topics not already discussed with suggestions including guidance for complex procedures, issues with physical access to dental practices, and issues with referral processes.

This successful event was a great opportunity to not only meet and learn more about the people at the centre of this research, but also for service users to be kept updated on the latest research, and for them to input to research planning.

The study is funded by the Brittle Bones Society. Ethical review was underway at the time of presentation and the project will start as soon as approvals are granted. If you would like more information, please contact Megan Crichton, [email protected].

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