RETURN Trial Webinar: Key Findings & Live Q&A

The revolving door of urgent dental care is a widely recognised problem. This contributes to people from poorer background having fewer teeth and experiencing more impact of poor oral health on their lives. It also increases unnecessary use of antibiotics and other services such as GPs and A & E.

While barriers to dental care have been studied exhaustively throughout the world and, there has never been a clinical trial of an intervention aiming to address adults’ barriers to routine dental care.

RETURN trial is a major NIHR-funded study involving over 1,000 adults, investigating how a brief behavioural intervention delivered by dental nurses in urgent dental care can reduce inequalities in routine dental visiting. More than half of the trial participants lived in areas ranked among the most deprived 10% nationally. They were followed up 6, 12 and 18 months later to see if the intervention worked.

Did you miss the Liverpool event on 6th May 2025 where RETURN key trial findings, the qualitative work from interviewing people receiving the intervention, and cost-effectiveness analysis were shared?

This online webinar includes a live presentation of headline findings from the clinical trial qualitative work and health economic analysis. The webinar will also outline how the intervention supports the increased focus on NHS unscheduled care provision and policy changes aimed at transition of people with ongoing dental treatment needs into complex care pathways for routine care.

The free webinar allows you to:

• Discover the key clinical trial results of the RETURN trial
• Understand how the behavioural intervention was developed and worked
• See how people responded to the intervention and whether it impacted the behaviour of low socio-economic groups
• Understand the evidence showing a high probability of it being cost-effective to the NHS

You’ll have the opportunity to submit questions throughout and join a live Q&A session at the end with:

• Professor Rebecca Harris and her team (Liverpool University)
• Dr Dan Howdon, Health Economist (Leeds University)

1.5 hours of verifiable CPD will be available for attendees.

Learning outcomes:

By the end of the webinar, participants will be able to:

1. Describe the RETURN intervention delivered in urgent dental care, its core components and the ingredients which made an impact on patient behaviour
2. Interpret the RETURN trial findings and cost-effectiveness evidence
3. Evaluate how RETURN could be integrated into potential NHS contract reforms in England particularly around unscheduled and complex care

This webinar is ideal for:

• Health Services Researchers from different health systems globally as well as the UK
• People responsible for commissioning dental services such as Integrated Care Boards (ICB) and NHS England staff
• Local Dental Network Chairs
• Advocates, Local and National Policy makers, Think Tanks
• Consultants and Specialists in Public Health
• Undergraduate and Postgraduate educators
• Dental practice owners
• Members of dental teams
• People interested in behaviour change and health education
• Members of the public interested in oral health and reducing inequalities

Register now to receive your access link closer to the event date.