A feasibility and acceptability study of an e-training intervention to facilitate health behaviour change conversations in dental care settings

Introduction Health behaviours result in oral health problems. Behaviour change techniques, informed by behaviour science, are rarely utilised by dental care professionals (DCPs) within routine care. Aim To develop a theory-informed intervention to support DCPs' behaviour change conversations and evaluate its feasibility and acceptability. Intervention A behaviour change toolkit (Toothpicks) comprising 33 behaviour change techniques relevant to dentistry, delivered within an interactive online course. Design Development and mixed-methods evaluation of the intervention. Materials and methods Participants' motivation to discuss behaviour change with patients was measured before and after training using a validated questionnaire. Acceptability was assessed through semi-structured interviews. Results DCPs' (N = 32) motivation increased significantly post-training. Participants found the training acceptable and reported subsequently implementing techniques into their practice. Potential barriers preventing implementation to clinical practice include perceived lack of opportunities to effect change within the constraints of the clinical context. Conclusions Acceptable theory-informed training that is acceptable and accessible can be developed that increases DCPs' motivation to discuss behaviour change with patients. Further research is necessary to establish the longer-term impact of brief behaviour change training on DCPs' clinical practice and patient health behaviours.

Automated summary

This study developed a theory-informed intervention to support dental care professionals' behavior change conversations and evaluated its feasibility and acceptability. Findings showed that participants' motivation significantly increased post-training, with participants finding the training acceptable and reporting subsequent implementation of techniques into their practice.