Eastman Dental Tapped for Role in Major National Research Project
Eastman Dental, the clinical arm of The Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center, is part of a national research effort that aims to transform oral health and clinical practice throughout the United States.
The newly formed National Dental Practice-Based Research Network will provide community dentists the opportunity to be on the forefront of research that addresses day-to-day issues they face with patients. The Network was established by a seven-year, $67 million grant to the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, part of the National Institutes of Health.
A dental practice-based research network, or DPBRN, is a consortium of practices and clinics devoted principally to the oral health care of patients, but whose members investigate research questions with practical impact that will improve the quality of dental care.
Through six regional research centers, dentists across the country will be able to propose and/or participate in research studies designed to help quickly expand the profession’s evidence base and improve patient care. Eastman Institute for Oral Health will run the northeast region, comprised of Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
“This network will allow dentists nationwide a unique opportunity to address questions that arise in their practices every day,” explained Dr. Cyril Meyerowitz, EIOH director and the northeast region’s principal investigator. “They can have a role in determining what questions are asked and participate in discovering the answers, which can then translate quickly into practice.”
This is the first dental practice based research network on a national scope. Previous regional dental practice based research networks have addressed topics such as persistent pain and root canal therapy, blood glucose testing in dental practices, comparing repaired or replaced dental restorations, and issues related to diagnosing and treating cavities, among many others.
“Our vision is that all dental professionals, organizations, and patients will help make this network the precious national resource that it can be,” added Meyerowitz. “This project is a unique union of real-world practicing dentists and academic scientists working together to quickly transfer new knowledge gained in research to benefit the patient.”
Oral health practitioners, including dentists and hygienists in the northeast region area are encouraged to enroll and participate in the various studies. For more information, contact EIOH Research Administrator Kathy Bohn at Kathy_bohn@urmc.rochester.edu or 585-273-5272.
Eastman Institute for Oral Health is a world leader in research and post-doctoral education in general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics and oral surgery. Patients are seen at many sites throughout the Rochester community.
###
Author
