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Abstract Background Decision analytic models are often used in economic evaluations to estimate long-term costs and effects of treatment which span beyond the time-frame of a clinical trial, therefore providing a better understanding of the long-term implications of decisions that conventional trial-based economic evaluations fail to provide. This is particularly relevant for considering oral health interventions in children as treatments may affect adult oral health. However, in the field of child oral health there has not been an evaluation of the quality and scope of decision analytical models which extend into adulthood. The aim of this review is to examine the scope and quality of decision modelling studies, with horizons extending into adulthood, within the field of child oral health. Methods The following databases were searched: NHS Economic Evaluation Database (CRD York), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, the Cochrane Library and Econlit. Full economic evaluations, in the field of child oral health, published after 1997 which included a decision model with a horizon that extended beyond the age of 18 years old were included. Included studies were appraised against the Drummond checklist and the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards by calibrated reviewers. Results Four hundred studies were identified, of which nine met the inclusion criteria. Of the nine, eight were cost-effectiveness models. The majority focussed on the prevention or management of dental caries. The mean percentage of applicable Drummond checklist criteria met by the studies in this review was 82% (median = 85%, range = 54–100%). Discounting of costs and performing an incremental analysis were noted as key methodological weaknesses. The mean percentage of applicable CHEERS criteria met by each study was 82% (median = 87%, range = 32–96%). Justifying the type of model, analytical methods used, and sources of funding were most commonly unreported. Conclusions There is a paucity of decision analytical models in the field of child oral health. Most of those that are available are of high methodological and reporting quality.

Background: Little information on young people's and adults' views and experiences on decision‐making for managing compromised first permanent molars (cFPM) exists. Aim: To establish young people's and adults' views and experiences of decision‐making for managing cFPM. Design: Face‐to‐face (online) semi‐structured interviews were undertaken using an iteratively designed topic guide. Participants aged 12–65 were purposively sampled with recruitment from different dental clinics (three primary care, an out‐of‐hours emergency and one dental hospital). Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Three themes were generated from young people's interviews (n = 9): (i) influencing factors; (ii) long‐term considerations; and (iii) shared decision‐making. Three themes were generated from adults' interviews (n = 13): (i) influences that affect decisions; (ii) perceptions of the specialist's role; and (iii) importance of shared decision‐making for children and young people. Conclusion: Several factors influenced decision‐making; for young people, professional opinions were important, and parental/peer influences less so. For adults, it was based on decisions on their prior experiences. Adults felt young people were abnormal if referred to a specialist. Young people wanted autonomy in decision‐making to be respected; in reality, their views were rarely heard. There is potential to increase young people's involvement in shared decision‐making for cFPM, which aligns with their aspirations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Molar–incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) is a prevalent condition, and how it is managed varies greatly between professional groups. Aim: To explore, and compare, the UK and Australian general dental practitioners' management of MIH in children. Design: Face‐to‐face (remote) semistructured interviews were undertaken, using country‐specific topic guides. Participants were purposively sampled and recruited through national conferences and research networks (eviDent Foundation and Northern Dental Practice Based Research Network). Interviews (from each country) were audio‐recorded, transcribed verbatim and independently analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Two major themes arose from the UK interviews: (i) decision‐making complexities and understanding of treatment options and (ii) need for specialist input. The main Australian themes were (i) multidisciplinary approach to management supporting decision‐making complexities and (ii) economic implications for care. Several difficulties, such as financial implications, multidisciplinary care and clinical decision‐making, were identified as barriers to effectively managing MIH by GDPs in primary care. Conclusion: There are similarities and differences in the knowledge and management of MIH amongst UK and Australian nonspecialists. The different healthcare systems played a significant role in shaping how GDPs manage MIH with barriers relating to affordability, multidisciplinary care and clinical decision‐making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dental caries prevalence in children is high and inequalities are significant, with a major burden for children, families and the health system. Community water fluoridation (CWF) has been shown to be effective and it may reduce inequalities. Despite concerns, there is no evidence that CWF has any major side effects. CWF can cause mild fluorosis of the teeth, but this can be associated with an improvement in quality of life. Economic evaluations of CWF have consistently shown that CWF is cost-saving. Despite the positive evidence, implementation is limited in the UK, and this appears to be due an inconducive political environment, although this is improving. CPD/Clinical Relevance: Dental professionals should be aware of the benefits of CWF in order to be able to effectively advocate for its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We relate experience of predicting medium term load demand for the Israeli power grid using neural network models. A variety of different regularization procedures are used for training and the results are compared. Furthermore we make suggestions on combining models and selecting input variables. Keywords - Feedforward neural networks; Medium term load forecasting; Regularization; Early stopping; Time series prediction.

The majority of studies that explore the role of real estate in a portfolio context either attempt to identify the optimal allocation of real estate in a mixed asset portfolio, [...]