key: cord-0029709-q58ebo8b
authors: Brookes, Zoë; Mills, Ian; Witton, Robert; McColl, Ewen
title: Top tips for incorporating research
date: 2022-04-08
journal: Br Dent J
DOI: 10.1038/s41415-022-4185-y
sha: 8310044104b1a9d1a60559766ab17ba1dfdcf3c5
doc_id: 29709
cord_uid: q58ebo8b

nan

T he COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on all aspects of society, with dentistry facing specific challenges in maintaining access to dental services within a safe environment. One of the key challenges in early 2020 was the lack of knowledge and understanding around the risks of transmission of a novel coronavirus in the dental setting. The lack of credible research, particularly within the primary care setting, led to challenges in developing reasonable and informed guidance to support the profession. As a consequence, research from other settings was translated to dentistry which was viewed by some as inappropriate. Dental academics were keen to contribute, but with limited research capacity, particularly within primary care, the lack of empirical evidence undoubtedly hampered progress in dealing with the threat of coronavirus.

In the UK, over 90% of dental care is provided within general dental practice, yet only 2% of current published research relates to primary care. 1 Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) is a vital aspect of delivering high standards of care for our patients, and this should be informed, wherever possible, by high-quality empirical research. The majority of research is conducted in academic settings or secondary care, and this may not necessarily translate to primary care. 2 Primary care dental services provide the ideal environment for clinical research given the wide range of patients and applicability of research findings to real world circumstances. In our experience, busy practitioners often find it difficult to get going with research in practice, whilst recognising the value of being involved in research. In this short paper, we hope to give some tips on how to get involved in research in primary dental care.

Working in general practice can be extremely challenging, particularly at the present time. The thought of taking on additional responsibilities, such as research, may seem like an unnecessary burden. However, there are many positives in getting involved with research in primary care and some of the benefits include: • Developing new skills and knowledge • Working as part of a wider team • Involvement of staff and patients • Variety within your working week • Professional fulfilment through advancing knowledge of the profession • Potential for future career advancement including publication • Point of difference in terms of practice promotion or staff recruitment.

You can become 'research active' at many different levels, and for many this may be a convenient way to get started and make contact with more established researchers.

• Research participant -get involved as a participant in an existing study or trial. Many researchers are keen to recruit participants in a variety of projects • Data collector -participate in a study by collecting data for a colleague, perhaps through a questionnaire at the practice or collection of clinical data • Collaborator -more active involvement as a member of the research team, perhaps providing clinical expertise and advice or interpretation of results and their relevance to the clinical setting • Clinical lead (CL) -direct involvement in the design of the study including funding application and research and ethics, as well as clinical input, analysis, interpretation of findings • Principal investigator (PI) -responsible for all aspects of the study and likely to be undertaken by experienced researcher or someone in academic post.

It can be difficult to know where and how to start, and the importance of professional networks cannot be understated. 'Local knowledge' is always a good place to start and colleagues will often be able and willing to signpost you accordingly. Groups, such as the LDC, BDA Section, FGDP/CGDent, IPG, will often be able to help.

• Find a supportive practice -it can be difficult to conduct research in isolation, particularly if your practice is not engaged or supportive. There are others who are, and colleagues will often be delighted to act as a mentor. Dental body corporates will potentially have research opportunities due to their size and management structure, and it is always worth enquiring • Dental school -the majority of dental research is linked to universities or dental schools, and many academics are keen to collaborate with colleagues in primary care. It is worth contacting the research lead or a named academic at the School, and you may be pleasantly surprised at just how keen they are • University -contact your nearest university as they may be grateful of your input with ongoing research projects by providing clinical expertise, also in non-dental disciplines • College of General Dentistry (formerly FGDP UK) -CGDent provides support, advice and information on research in general dental practice (https://cgdent.uk/research/). An introduction to research for primary dental care clinicians was previously published in 2010 and can be accessed online: https://cgdent.uk/ standards-guidance/ • Society for Academic Primary Care (SAPC) -the SAPC has a special interest group ' Academic Primary Dental Care Group' which provides an academic platform to nurture academic careers in primary dental care: https://sapc.ac.uk/special-interest-group/ dental-care 

Experience of clinical trials in general dental practice

Clinical Academic Careers: Report of an Independent Task Force