{
  "abstract": "Background Dental caries remains a significant public health issue across the UK and in Bradford. While early-years settings provide a unique opportunity to promote oral health, the implementation of oral health interventions varies widely. This research explores the perspectives of early-years professionals and parents of young children on supportive oral health conversations and activities within nursery settings, aiming to identify facilitators and barriers to effective collaboration.Methods A qualitative, cross-sectional study was conducted as part of the Better Start Bradford initiative, focusing on deprived communities in West Yorkshire. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were undertaken, recorded, and transcribed. The COM-B model was applied to examine capabilities, opportunities, and motivations influencing oral health activities. Qualitative data was collected, and analysed with NVivo software and thematic analysis.Results Sixteen early-years professionals and fourteen parents, whose children (aged 0–4) attended participating nurseries, took part in the interviews and focus groups. Professional and parent interviews were analysed separately using a phenomenological inductive approach and then triangulated. Five key themes emerged. (1) Two-way dialogue with parents. Nurseries attempted to communicate oral health messages via WhatsApp and newsletters, but parents preferred real-time, face-to-face communications. Many were unaware of nursery based oral health initiatives, indicating a communication gap. (2) Nursery-Led Activities. Supervised toothbrushing, role-playing, and curriculum integration engaged children but lacked standardisation, with varied implementation across settings. (3) Parental Engagement and Support. Some children developed independent yet ineffective brushing habits at nursery, reducing parental involvement at home. Parents also expressed a need for culturally tailored materials and guidance to reinforce oral health practices. (4) Barriers to Implementation. Structural challenges, such as limited time, staffing constraints, and lack of NHS dental access, affected the consistency of oral health promotion in early-years settings. (5) Home-Based Support. Parents valued take-home resources such as toothbrushes and educational videos, but highlighted gaps in awareness and accessibility.Conclusion Early-years settings can play an important role in promoting oral health, but success is hindered by inconsistent communication and limited resources. Strategies to improve engagement include blended communication methods, structured training for early-years staff, and alignment with broader public health initiatives such as the HABIT intervention. Policy efforts should focus on standardising oral health practices across early years settings to address health inequalities.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Paediatric Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Eleanor Forshaw"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Paediatric Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Peter Day"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Paediatric Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Kara Gray-Burrows"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Paediatric Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Amrit Chauhan"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Paediatric Dentistry, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Jayne Purdy"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Dental Public Health, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Karen Vinall-Collier"
    }
  ],
  "title": "OP31 Small teeth, big gaps: exploring the missed opportunity for oral health communication in early years settings",
  "uid": "189d0241-80a8-5ec8-9ba9-ea9efaba1ba0"
}