Acceptability of the 'Hall Technique' as a treatment option within public dental health clinics in the Western Sydney Region : Sydney, NSW Australia

Background: The Hall Technique (HT) for tooth restoration has been shown to have high efficacy among children with increased longevity and improved oral health outcomes when compared to conventional restorations. This study aims to assess the acceptability of Preformed Metallic Crown (PMC) placement utilising the HT, by investigating the perceptions of parents (or legal guardians) and the children, who have been previously treated with the HT within public dental clinics in the Western Sydney region. Methods/Design: This quantitative evaluation study utilised self-administered questionnaires administered to children who had received at least one HT PMC between 2012-2015 and their parents. The questionnaires contained items regarding participants' attitudes towards the Hall Technique. Results: A total of 71 children and their parents/guardians participated in the study. The child participants mean age was 7.5 years (range = 5-11 years), with 41% (n= 29) male and 59% (n= 42) female. Most parents strongly agreed 69% (n = 49) or agreed 25% (n = 18) that the technique was better for their child in comparison to using local anaesthetic and/or a normal filling. The majority (91%) of the child participants indicated that they liked their HT PMC (score of 6 and above), and (76%) indicated they enjoyed having the HT PMC placed. These results were not significantly associated with the child's age at treatment, gender or the position of the crown in the mouth. Conclusions: The study found the HT PMC to be a well-accepted restorative treatment option, by both children and their parents/ legal guardians attending public dental clinics in NSW, Australia.