Research
In this section, we provide articles on key discoveries of the past and bring you up-to-date on research news of the present that will have an impact on dental practice. Tune in for regular updates on happenings in general dentistry and in specialized care for patients whose oral health is impacted by a broad range of diseases and conditions.
Research – Bringing Hope for the Future
The knowledge and treatments we take for granted today are only possible because of investigators who devoted a lifetime in search of better answers. Take fluoride, for instance: the discovery about 75 years ago that fluoride could prevent tooth decay led to its addition to water supplies and revolutionized oral health care. We are living in a time in which major breakthroughs in areas ranging from immunology to cell biology and drug development to genetic engineering will continue to bring about changes in our oral, and subsequently systemic, health. For we are aware more than ever before that oral health is critical to our health as a whole and also a reflection upon it, because through the mouth, we have a window through which we can identify systemic disease.
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) states that its mission is to “improve oral, dental and craniofacial health through research, research training, and the dissemination of health information.” These goals are met through its intramural program and Clinical Center, its grant awards from its extramural division, and by partnering with patient advocates, clinicians, and industry, and launching its Practice-Based Research Networks to provide the best treatment guidelines for dentists and their patients.
Without federal funding and a focus on these issues through the NIDCR, the future of dentistry and our ability to develop the techniques of tomorrow for oral health would be severely limited. The NIDCR faces unprecedented opportunities for research, and our recognition of the past accomplishments facilitated by this, one of the oldest institutes within the National Institutes of Health, and its role in future discoveries, is imperative. After all, translating what we learn in the lab to bring better patient care to the dentist’s office ultimately affects health and quality of life for all of us.
Research Articles:
Click on any of the articles below:
See our NIDCR page for Science News in Briefs. |
