Is there a BRIGHT future in texts?

A new research project, working with schools in South Yorkshire, is investigating ways of improving the oral health of young people living in deprived areas.

Researchers are working with 48 schools and nearly 6,000 young people in England, Scotland and Wales on the four-year research project, called Brushing RemInder 4 Good oral HealTh (BRIGHT), that looks at whether a classroom lesson on toothbrushing – followed up by text messaging – helps support young people to develop good brushing habits and reduce tooth decay.

The project was awarded almost £2 million by the National Institute for Health Research to investigate new ways of improving the oral health of secondary school-aged young people living in deprived areas. In each school, one class will receive the talk and a series of text messages, while another will not. The team will collect information on tooth decay, frequency of brushing, and the impact decay has on the children’s lives to determine whether those in the programme develop better oral health habits than those who don’t participate. The project is led by the University of Dundee in collaboration with the University of Sheffield. The team will work on the project with colleagues from the Universities of Leeds and Cardiff and the York Trials Unit.