Evaluation of UK paediatric nephrology teams’ understanding, experience and perceptions of oral health outcomes and accessibility to dental care: a mixed-methods study

Abstract

Abstract Background Oral health conditions are common in children and young people (CYP) with kidney disorders. There is currently limited literature on how confident paediatric nephrology teams feel to identify and manage oral health concerns for their patients. Method An exploratory mixed-method survey was distributed across all 13 UK specialist paediatric nephrology centres with responses received from consultants, registrars, specialist nurses and special interest (SPIN) paediatricians. Results Responses received from 109 multidisciplinary team members of 13/13 (100%) UK tertiary units. Ninety-two percent (n = 100) of respondents reported they had never received any training in oral health and 87% (n = 95) felt that further training would be beneficial to optimise care for patients and improve communication between medical and dental teams. Most respondents reported that they did not regularly examine, or enquire about, their patients’ oral health. Only 16% (n = 17) reported that all their paediatric kidney transplant recipients underwent routine dental assessment prior to transplant listing. Severe adverse oral health outcomes were rarely reported and only 11% (n = 12) of respondents recalled having a patient who had a kidney transplant delayed or refused due to concerns about oral infection. Seventy-eight percent (n = 85) felt that joint working with a dental team would benefit patients at their unit; however, 17% (n = 18) felt that current infrastructure does not currently support effective joint working. Conclusions Across the UK, paediatric kidney health professionals report lack of confidence and training in oral health. Upskilling subspecialty teams and creating dental referral pathways are recommended to maximise oral health outcomes for CYP with kidney diseases. Graphical abstract