5 Recommendations for further research

5.1

On the basis of the current evidence, the place of HealOzone in the treatment or management of dental caries is not proven. If this technology is to be considered for use within the NHS, further research is needed to provide evidence of its clinical and cost effectiveness compared with current best practice. Such research should include large-scale RCTs, use validated methods for the diagnosis and assessment of dental caries, and incorporate appropriate statistical methods for the analysis of dependent data within patients. It will also need to show evidence of effectiveness on patient-centred outcomes (for example, pain and numbers of fillings and tooth extractions) to assess both long-term benefits and effects on quality of life.