The PLATOON project is investigating the impact of premature extraction of primary teeth (PEPT) on orthodontic treatment need in a cohort of children participating in the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort study. Born in Bradford (BiB) is an internationally-recognised research programme which aims to find out what keeps families healthy and happy by tracking the lives of over 40,000 Bradfordians.
PLATOON is the first study to provide the foundations for future investigations, allowing the long-term impact of PEPT to be studied. It has quantified the impact of premature extractions of primary teeth (four times increase) on future orthodontic need. These finding identify an additional significant cost to patients and the NHS. We are disseminating these results to BiB participants and exploring their willingness to take part in a further study to confirm these findings once the children are teenagers.
