As part of the new dental contract, general dental practitioners will be required to promote oral health awareness and prevent oral disease; however, it is unclear what the best ways are to achieve this.

The majority of oral diseases such as dental caries or gum disease are preventable. Implementing effective and appropriate promotion techniques will not only improve the state of oral health across the board, but will also enhance the experience of visiting the dentist in general. Collaborating with a team of dental researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, and an Information Specialist from the British Dental Association, SERIO will collect and review evidence relating to the effectiveness of various methods of delivering oral health care messages. The research team will present its findings in a final report to NICE in January 2015, detailing the best methods to use and what level of effectiveness to expect.