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2010 News

DPBRN now on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn
Wednesday, December 29, 2010

DPBRN now can be found on the following social networks: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. News items, publications of the month, and testimonials will be featured.

Click here to "like" our Facebook page.

Click here to follow us on Twitter.

Click here to join our LinkedIn group.

Fourth annual meeting for Scandinavian DPBRN practitioner-investigators
Friday, December 17, 2010

Scandinavia held its 4th annual regional meeting on Saturday November 20, 2010, at the Royal Library, The Black Diamond, in Copenhagen, Denmark. A total of twenty-nine DPBRN dentist and dental hygienist practitioner-investigators from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden were able to attend the meeting.

The meeting started with two keynote presentations by the Danish professor Dr. Palle Holmstrup, who gave an inspired review of "The Borderline between Periodontology and Medicine", and the Norwegian professor Dr. Anne Bjørg Tveit, who presented "Current Caries Diagnostics and Treatment Strategies in Norway". Ms. Lene Fabricius-Bekker spoke about her work as a DPBRN Regional Coordinator for Scandinavia and gave a enthusiastic report from the DPBRN face-to-face meeting in Portland, September 2010. Scandinavian Regional Coordinator Ms. Pia Nørrisgaard talked about the interesting findings from the DPBRN study "Assessment of Caries Diagnosis and Caries Treatment", which she also presented at the IADR meeting in Barcelona, July 2010. DPBRN Executive Committee member Dr. Lotta Persson gave a presentation of great interest for the practitioners explaining her work as the Scandinavian representative in the DPBRN EC. Finally, DPBRN dental hygienist practitioner-investigator, Ms. Helle Nielsen, presented the preliminary SK results from the DPBRN "Prevalence of Questionable Occlusal Caries Lesions", which was conducted earlier in 2010. In extension of Ms. Nielsen´s presentation there was an engaging breakout group discussion concerning the prevalence, diagnosis, and treatment found by the Danish dental hygienists and dentists in this study. The day was concluded with a discussion of the possibilities for a common Danish electronic patient record system within dentistry given by DPBRN practitioner Dr. Johan Buchhorn, and a presentation of the DPBRN Scandinavian Principal Investigator Dr. Vibeke Qvist of the 2½ year results from the Danish ‘SEAL-project', which deals with sealing versus restoration of manifest occlusal caries lesions in the young permanent dentition.

The DPBRN practitioners found the meeting very meaningful and appreciated having discussions with network colleagues from the other Scandinavian countries. They received certificates for their participation in the annual regional meeting.

New National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Limited Competition (U19)
Thursday, December 16, 2010

Recall that the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) funded The Dental PBRN for 2005-2012. NIDCR has now issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for a limited competition that invites applications from the incumbent NIDCR regional practice-based research networks to establish a National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (NDPBRN).

NDPBRN is defined as a geographically diverse group of practices and clinics devoted principally to the oral health care of patients, and whose members are affiliated through their interests in investigating questions related to dental practice and in improving the quality of oral health care. The NDPBRN will initiate and perform a variety of clinical studies, with an emphasis on comparing the effectiveness of oral health treatments and preventive regimens. The primary objective of each study carried out by the NDPBRN is to strengthen the knowledge base for clinical decision-making by evaluating particular clinical approaches and evaluating the effectiveness of strategies for the prevention, management and treatment of oral diseases and conditions.

The Institute will support one NDPBRN led by a national network director who will be responsible for the overall scientific leadership and fiscal management of NDPBRN activities. The goals of the cooperative agreement funded under this FOA are to support the infrastructure and conduct of national oral health research studies in dental practices on topics of importance to practitioners, to provide evidence useful in daily patient care, and to facilitate the translation of research findings into clinical practice.

The deadline to apply for this seven-year grant is May 3, 2011 with an earliest anticipated start date of April 2012. Click here to view the Funding Opportunity Announcement. Also click here to see questions and answers related to the FOA.

DPBRN Network Chair highlighted in AADR's Strides in Science
Friday, December 10, 2010

Dr. Gregg Gilbert, DPBRN Network Chair, was highlighted in the December 2010 issue of the American Association for Dental Research's Strides in Science. Dr. Gilbert discusses The DPBRN, his interest in dental research, and the future of oral health research. Click here to view the AADR website and click here to view the pdf version.

2010 DPBRN Annual Meetings for the Florida/Georgia Region
Friday, December 03, 2010

DPBRN holds annual meetings with its practitioner-investigators in each region. Because the practitioner-investigators are widely spread throughout the states of Florida and Georgia, the FL/GA region decided to experiment this year with having four localized meetings for the convenience of the practitioner-investigators, instead of a single regional meeting. These local meetings were held in Atlanta (Georgia) on October 8, 2010; Miami (South Florida) on October 22, 2010; Lakeland (Central Florida) on October 29, 2010; and Milton (Panhandle Florida) on November 4, 2010. Each meeting had different presentations tailored to the practitioners and guests at each specific location.

Dental practice staff members who are active in the research were also invited to attend the meetings because they are critical to the success of the research and have a vested interest in the outcomes.

The agenda for each of the meetings followed the same pattern. Posters were available for viewing and discussion as the practitioners arrived at the meeting. A PowerPoint presentation by Dr. Gordan (Principal Investigator for the FL/GA region) and/or Ms. Deborah McEdward (Regional Coordinator for the FL/GA region) covered studies, training, practitioner presentations, publications and other relevant information. Each practitioner was given a booklet of the posters and selected manuscripts published by the network. Dinner was served during the time allowed for discussion and networking.

This meeting format was very successful. Attendees expressed interest in the update on studies and were enthusiastic about talking with each other about the research. Practitioners also showed interest in presenting and writing the results of the completed and current studies.

A total of 58 practitioners and staff attended these meetings, in addition to faculty and students from the University of Florida Hialeah and St. Petersburg clinics.

December 2010 DPBRN E-Update
Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Each month we highlight a recent DPBRN publication, recent study results, or other important DPBRN information. Please click here to view the pdf version. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact our Director of Communications.

Regional Coordinators give a presentation to dental hygiene students
Saturday, November 20, 2010

Ms. Pearl Ann Harris and Ms. Deborah McEdward (Regional Coordinators for the FL/GA region) spoke to a mixed class of second-year, and accelerated one-year, dental hygiene students at Santa Fe College in Gainesville Florida. Students in the Community Dentistry class were informed about the variety of research positions available to dental hygienists ranging from Clinical Research Coordinators to Research Hygienists. The Dental Practice-Based Research Network was described as well as the research being done by the network. Students expressed interest in research and asked about joining the network once they are employed.

DPBRN Fall Newsletter
Friday, November 05, 2010

The DPBRN Fall 2010 Newsletter is now available. Please click here to view the pdf version. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive the electronic version, please contact our Director of Communications.

November 2010 DPBRN E-Update
Monday, November 01, 2010

DPBRN Executive Committee member co-authors article in the Fall 2010 issue of Journal of Health Care Finance
Thursday, October 28, 2010

Dr. Paul Benjamin, DPBRN Executive Committee Member and practitioner-investigator from Florida, co-authored an article entitled "A psychosocial approach to dentistry for the underserved: incorporating theory into practice" in the Fall 2010 issue of Journal of Health Care Finance. In it, they discuss the value of access to quality dentistry as an immeasurable factor in maintaining general medical health of people and fulfilling their psychosocial needs of pain reduction and enhanced cosmetics. They tackle the question: What are the critical values and beliefs of psychosocial theory that can underscore the practice of dentistry for underserved populations in the United States? They found that a theoretical approach to dentistry employing the health belief model, mediated by values and culture, can provide significant insights into patient thinking, beliefs, and perceptions. These insights can mediate access to and use of primary care dental services by underserved populations. Click here to view the PubMed link.

Fourth annual meeting for Minnesota practitioner-investigators: Partnering with the Minnesota Dental Association on the dissemination of DPBRN results
Monday, October 25, 2010

The MN Region of the DPBRN hosted its annual meeting co-sponsored this year by the Minnesota Dental Association (MDA). The event was held at the University of Minnesota Conference and Continuing Education Center in St. Paul, MN on Friday, October 15th, 2010. In attendance were 63 individuals representing the Dental Practice-Based Research Network (dentists in private practice, community health practice, and group practice across the state), the Minnesota Dental Association, the Minnesota Academy of General Dentistry, and the University of Minnesota's School of Dentistry. Of those not currently enrolled in DPBRN activities, many expressed interest after a lively and informative meeting.

The meeting was led by Dr. Brad Rindal, Minnesota Regional Principal Investigator and Dr. Gary Anderson of the MDA's Evidence-Based Taskforce. Dr. Don DeNucci provided an update on the future of dental practice-based research. Dr. Gregg Gilbert provided the annual update on DPBRN study progress to date.

Dr. Raj Gopalakrishnan presented recent findings from studies at the University of Minnesota on osteonecrosis of the jaw. Results were presented by Dr. Andrei Barasch on the CONDOR study on "Osteonecrosis of the Jaw." DPBRN Practitioner-Investigator Dr. Doug Shamp provided testimonial on his involvement in that and other studies in the DPBRN. Panel discussion and a breakout session focused on the results presented, with much positive feedback from practitioners.

Dr. Don Nixdorf, Dr. Alan Law, and Dr. Alejandro Aguirre presented a study update and preliminary data on "Peri-operative Pain and Root Canal Therapy" and "Persistent Pain and Root Canal Therapy". Both studies are underway in all regions of the DPBRN. Dr. Aguirre shared details of the successful implementation of the study protocol into his practice across three offices highlighting involvement of engaged staff members and sharing patients' interest and willingness to participate. DPBRN Practitioner-Investigators Dr. Pat Foy, Dr. Vince Riehm, Dr. Matt Rindal, and Dr. Robin Yardic shared poster presentations on:

• Caries Risk and Treatment Decisions
• Actual Versus Reported Caries Restorative Thresholds
• Gender Differences in the Treatment of Dental Caries
• Factors Used to Rate Dentists' Technical Skills

DPBRN Executive Committee member Dr. Pat Foy provided closing remarks on the importance practice-based research in understanding "what works, and why?" A social luncheon followed providing opportunity to converse with friends and colleagues.

Fifth annual meeting for Permanente Dental Associates DPBRN practitioner-investigators
Monday, October 18, 2010

Permanente Dental Associates (PDA) held its 5th annual regional meeting on Saturday September 25th, 2010 at the RiverPlace hotel in Portland, Oregon. Forty PDA dentists attended the meeting. Practitioners and research staff who were in Portland to attend The DPBRN Steering Committee, Regional Coordination Group, and Executive Committee meetings also attended the regional meeting, bringing the total in attendance to almost 60. One of the highlights of the meeting was the presentations given by practitioners from the Florida, Minnesota and Scandinavian regions. Each gave an informative and sometimes humorous presentation about dentistry in his or her region.

With the 2012 end-of-award date approaching, Dr. Don DeNucci talked about the future of practice-based research networks. Dr. Gregg Gilbert provided an update on current network activities. Several PDA practitioners spoke about recent and ongoing DPBRN studies. Dr. Jeffrey Houtz talked about DPBRN study "Peri-operative pain and root canal therapy", which is currently underway. Dr. May Kao presented information about DPBRN study "Blood sugar testing in dental practice" which was conducted earlier in 2010. Dr. Daniel Pihlstrom presented PDA region-specific results from DPBRN study "Reasons for replacement or repair of dental restorations". Finally, Dr. Kenneth Brossel, a member of the PRECEDENT practice-based research network, shared study results from their study "Salivary markers in caries risk detection".

Providers Dr. Minah DeAinza, Dr. David Straube, Dr. Jeffrey Wolfe and Dr. Farooq Nasserziayee, along with the principal investigator of the Kaiser Permanente site, Dr. Jeffrey Fellows, led poster discussions during the meeting. These presenters provided a brief synopsis of a poster as groups of dentists circulated asking questions and discussing the implications of poster results.

Eighteen dentists received framed DPBRN certificates for their participation in one (or both) of the DPBRN studies "Prevalence of questionable occlusal caries lesions" and "Blood sugar testing in dental practice".

Faculty member from Japan visits The Dental PBRN
Sunday, October 10, 2010

Naoki Kakudate, DDS, PhD, MPH, a faculty member at the Graduate School of Medicine and Public Health, Kyoto University, Japan, visited Birmingham, Alabama and Portland, Oregon from September 14-22, 2010 to learn more about The Dental PBRN and to observe its activities.

He began by visiting the Network Chair and Coordinating Center groups at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He visited with faculty and staff in both groups, attended weekly meetings of these groups, and learned about the structure and function of DPBRN overall, as well as specifics of the Alabama/Mississippi region. He also visited the office of an active DPBRN practitioner-investigator, Dr. Wilson Wright, Jr., of Birmingham, AL.

Dr. Wilson Wright Jr. and his staff, Celenia Colston and Shannon Bagley, hosted Dr. Kakudate on September 15, 2010. Dr. Wright and his staff are currently participating in the DPBRN studies "Peri-Operative Tooth Pain and Root Canal Therapy" and "Persistent Tooth Pain and Root Canal Therapy". Dr. Kakudate was very interested in how Dr. Wright interacted with the university and the mechanics of doing a research project in his private practice, which they discussed over lunch. Dr. Wright was quick to point out that without his staff helping facilitate the paperwork, the project would not get done due to busy office workload.

Following his visit in Birmingham, Dr. Kakudate attended the face-to-face meetings of the DPBRN Executive Committee, Steering Committee, and Regional Coordination Group in Portland, Oregon. See the related News Item story below about these meetings.

Annual DPBRN face-to-face committee meetings held in Oregon this year
Friday, October 08, 2010

The DPBRN Executive Committee, Steering Committee, and Regional Coordination Group held their annual face-to-face meetings at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research and the Permanente Dental Associates administrative offices in Portland, Oregon on September 23-24, 2010. Each year, the committee members from all DPBRN regions meet face-to-face to engage in an assessment of the network's performance, to discuss strategic planning, and to discuss past, present, and future DPBRN projects. Members from the AL/MS, FL/GA, MN, PDA, and Scandinavia regions were all present, which included personnel from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Florida, HealthPartners Research Foundation, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, Permanente Dental Associates (PDA), and the University of Copenhagen.

The Steering Committee and Regional Coordination Group held a joint meeting and discussed the numerous DPBRN manuscripts, abstracts, and presentations thus far as well as those in progress. The groups were also updated on the status of all ongoing DPBRN studies. The Executive Committee met to engage in strategic planning and to discuss how best to prepare for the upcoming grant renewal competition. In a first for the network, the EC also held a joint meeting with the Steering Committee and Regional Coordination Group in the afternoon of September 24. This was followed by a discussion of the operations and interactions among the Kaiser Permanente system overall, the Kaiser Permanente Northwest organization, the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research, and the PDA. This was followed by a tour of one of the PDA dental clinics.

October 2010 DPBRN E-update
Monday, October 04, 2010

DPBRN participates in Q&A for the ADA News
Friday, September 10, 2010

Dr. Gregg Gilbert, Network Chair of DPBRN, participated in a Q&A session for the ADA News. Dr. Gilbert, along with the Directors of the two other NIDCR-funded PBRNs, answered questions regarding the impact of practice-based research and its importance in shaping the future of dentistry. Click here to read the news article.

Annual ADA session course examines Dental Practice-Based Research Networks
Friday, September 10, 2010

The October 2010 session of the ADA in Orlando, FL will include a course on practice-based research networks and how dentists and their staff can contribute to building the science base for clinical dentistry. The course, entitled "Networked Dentistry: Providing Answers to Important Clinical Questions", will explain the advantages of combining practice-based research and the ADA's evidence-based dentistry program. For more information on this course, please click here.

September 2010 DPBRN E-Update
Wednesday, September 01, 2010

DPBRN Summer 2010 Newsletter
Monday, August 16, 2010

The DPBRN Summer 2010 Newsletter is now available. Please click here to view the pdf version. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive the electronic version, please contact our Director of Communications.

DPBRN Executive Committee member co-authors article on ethics in the August 2010 issue of JADA
Friday, August 13, 2010

Dr. Pat Foy, DPBRN Executive Committee Member and practitioner-investigator from the MN region, co-authored the "Ethical Moment" section of the August 2010 issue of JADA entitled "What Is the Ethical Course of Action When a Third-Party Payer Denies Coverage for a Treatment I Recommend Simply Because the Treatment Is Not One of the Plan's ‘Evidence-Based Best Practices'?". In it, they discuss the relationship between evidence-based dentistry and third-party payers. Click here to view the PubMed link. Click here to visit the ADA website.

DPBRN posters and presentations at IADR meeting in Barcelona, Spain
Wednesday, August 04, 2010

DPBRN was well-represented at the 88th General Session and Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), held this year in Barcelona, Spain July 14-17, 2010. DPBRN had multiple abstracts, given as oral presentations or posters, which garnered a lot of interest in our network.

Dr. Valeria Gordan (Principal Investigator for the FL/GA region) participated in a symposium organized by the Dental Materials Research Group and Network for Practice-based Research. She gave an oral presentation entitled "Investigating reasons for and outcomes of repair and replacement of restorations: a comparison of practice-based and institution-based studies". DPBRN posters at the meeting included the following topics: factors used to rate dentists' technical skills; successfully engaging practitioners to present research from The Dental PBRN; value of in-office audits in DPBRN; caries risk assessment and treatment decisions; and adult caries risk factors. The posters were presented by The DPBRN investigators, research coordinators, and private-practitioners from the various regions.

In addition to these presentations, Ms. Deborah McEdward(Regional Coordinator for the FL/GA region) and Dr. Craig Ajmo(DPBRN practitioner-investigator for the FL/GA region) attended the Board meeting for the Network for Practice-based Research. They serve as Treasurer and Member-At-Large representatives, respectively. The DPBRN received positive remarks for its participation at the section meeting of the Network for Practice-based Research. The goal of "networks" in the IADR structure is to create opportunities for communication and collaboration among researchers and other interested groups under the umbrella of the IADR.

Congratulations to all the presenters for a job well done! Click here to view the entire list of presentations.

August 2010 E-update
Monday, August 02, 2010

Endodontists' and orofacial pain groups jointly fund a Dental PBRN study
Tuesday, July 27, 2010

A follow-up study to DPBRN Studies 17 ("Peri-operative pain and root canal therapy") & 18 ("Persistent Pain and Root Canal Therapy") has been funded recently by the American Association of Endodontists Foundation and the American Academy of Orofacial Pain.

Dr. Richie Kohli, resident in the TMD and Orofacial Pain Division at the University of Minnesota, will lead the project, which will be performed only within DPBRN's Minnesota region. The study is entitled "Diagnoses for persistent dentoalveolar pain following root canal therapy: a nested case-control study". Drs. Donald Nixdorf, Alan Law, John Look, and Brad Rindal of the University of Minnesota and the HealthPartners Research Foundation will serve as co-investigators. The study will derive detailed endodontic and orofacial diagnoses for consenting DPBRN patients who are experiencing pain at six months following their non-surgical root canal treatment, along with age- and gender-matched control patients.

The primary goal of the study is to determine the proportion of patients with pain who would be best managed with usual dental care, compared to those who actually have a non-odontogenic source for their pain and therefore may be better managed by directing treatment that is focused on the non-odontogenic source of their pain.

One of many measures of success for DPBRN studies is that they lead to additional research, including research that can be funded by sources other than the main funder of the network (the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research). This study is significant for DPBRN because it makes use of our network and our previous studies as the basis for important additional research – research that can be done more quickly and efficiently than would have been possible otherwise.

NIDCR receives approval to proceed with a Request for Applications for the next cycle of funding
Friday, July 23, 2010

Recall that the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) funded The Dental PBRN for 2005-2012. NIDCR recently received approval to provide a second cycle of funding for the PBRN initiative.

This entailed getting a "concept approval" by the National Advisory Dental and Craniofacial Research Council, which it received in May 20, 2010. In addition to assessing the progress made by the three dental PBRNs that NIDCR funded in 2005, the advisory council assessed the overall programmatic and scientific priority for dental practice-based research. As a result of this approval, NIDCR will release a Request For Applications to fund a second cycle to continue practice-based research networks. Because The Dental PBRN has been very successful and productive in its activities, we hope to be very competitive for this funding.

Click here to find out more information on this concept clearance.

July 2010 Monthly E-update
Thursday, July 01, 2010

Each month we will highlight a recent DPBRN publication, recent study results, or other important DPBRN information. Please click here to view the pdf version. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact our Director of Communications.

June 2010 Monthly E-Update
Monday, June 07, 2010

DPBRN Spring 2010 Newsletter
Friday, May 14, 2010

The DPBRN Spring 2010 Newsletter is now available. Please click here to view the pdf version. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive the electronic version, please contact our Director of Communications.

May 2010 Monthly E-Update
Saturday, May 01, 2010

Annual meeting of the Alabama/Mississippi region of DPBRN practitioner-investigators
Friday, April 16, 2010

Alabama and Mississippi DPBRN practitioner-investigators held their annual meeting April 9-10, 2010 at the Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa in Hoover, AL (http://www.rossbridgeresort.com). A total of 85 persons attended, including more than 70 practitioner-investigators.

During the reception, practitioner-investigators were able to view recent DPBRN research posters and related materials. Dr. Gregg Gilbert, DPBRN Network Chair, gave an update on DPBRN's latest activities and how practitioner-investigators are actively participating in the publication and dissemination process. Dr. Donald DeNucci of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (http://www.nidcr.nih.gov), one of the institutes of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (http://www.nih.gov), presented important background information on dental PBRNs as well as the future of dental PBRNs, and provided a national perspective for the conference.

Dr. Gerald Anderson, a practitioner-investigator from Selma, AL, and representative of the AL/MS region on the DPBRN Executive Committee, presented results from the May 2008 DPBRN Network-wide meeting held in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Patrick Foy, a practitioner-investigator from Minneapolis, MN and representative of the MN region of the DPBRN Executive Committee, presented his journey from being a skeptic of the PBRN concept to being a fervent advocate. Dr. Allen Kessler, a practitioner-investigator from Fairfield, AL, presented the results of a DPBRN study on the outcomes of root canal treatment.

Attendees also participated in a rotating poster discussion session. Four practitioner-investigators gave five-minute presentations beside their DPBRN poster, followed by a question-and-answer session for 5-10 minutes. The attendees rotated through four DPBRN research posters. The practitioner-investigators presenting the posters were: Dr. Charles Yarbrough of Mobile, AL; Dr. Rick Redmond of Sylacauga, AL; Dr. Raymond Tso of Wetumpka, AL; and Dr. Jocelyn McClelland of Alabaster, AL.

Attendees separated into 8 small groups to discuss 7 topics: (1) ideas for the future of The DPBRN; (2) DPBRN study "Blood glucose testing in dental practice"; (3) DPBRN study "Hygienists' internet tobacco cessation study"; (4) DPBRN study "Peri-operative pain and root canal therapy"; (5) DPBRN study "Prevalence of questionable occlusal caries lesions"; (6) DPBRN possible study "Permanent restoration or sealant for occlusal caries (PROSOC); and (7) DPBRN possible study "Saliva and oral health". When the groups re-convened to summarize their discussions, the information from each breakout session was thought-provoking. Thanks to all attendees for putting so much energy into the breakout sessions! Thanks also to the 8 DPBRN practitioner-investigators who led each of the 8 groups (Drs. Gerry Walker of Trussville, AL, George Allen of Mobile, AL, Randall Palmore of Pinson, AL, Mary T. Wallace of Rainbow City, AL, Emery Cole of Sumiton, AL, Roberto Pischek of Robertsdale, AL, Wendy Holder of Alexander City, AL, and Jared Murrell of Warrior and Gardendale, AL).

Practitioner-investigators were very interested in future opportunities to discuss practice-based research with practitioners from the other DPBRN regions and to compare procedures and outcomes. Overall, based on evaluation forms completed by the attendees, the event was a big success and provided a fun opportunity to share information about ongoing and planned studies. Many thanks to DPBRN staff for their hard work, as well as to all of the practitioner-investigators, for making the AL/MS meeting a great success! Click on the thumbnail photos below to view photographs of the meeting.

April 2010 Monthly E-Update
Monday, April 05, 2010

DPBRN posters and presentations at AADR meeting in Washington, DC
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

DPBRN was well-represented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research in Washington, DC March 2-5, 2010. DPBRN had multiple abstracts, given as oral presentations or posters, which garnered a lot of interest in our network. Congratulations to all the presenters for a job well done! Click here to view the abstract list.

DPBRN studies progressing well in Norway
Friday, March 12, 2010

DPBRN studies "Longitudinal study of dental restorations placed on previously unrestored surfaces", "Reasons for replacement or repair of restorations", and "Patient satisfaction with dental restorations" were very successful in Scandinavia. The photos below are from a recent trip to Hamar, Norway, where data collection forms for these studies were collected.

March 2010 Monthly E-update
Thursday, March 11, 2010

DPBRN Executive Committee Member writes an article on DPBRN and Evidence-Based Dentistry
Thursday, March 11, 2010

Dr. Pat Foy, a full-time private practitioner in Minneapolis, MN, DPBRN practitioner-investigator, and member of the DPBRN Executive Committee, wrote an article for Dental IQ entitled "Evidence-based dentistry: are we there yet?" In it, he discusses his perspective as a member of DPBRN and its role in evidence-based dentistry. Click here to view the article.

Feature Article in Northwest Dentistry: "Doctor, Why Does My Tooth Still Hurt?"
Thursday, March 11, 2010

Members of DPBRN wrote a feature article for the January/February 2010 issue of Northwest Dentistry, the journal of the Minnesota Dental Association. In it, they discuss the common problem of post-operative sensitivity after root canal treatment and a new DPBRN study that is geared towards investigating this problem. Click here to view the article.

DPBRN study "Blood sugar testing in dental practice" underway in Sweden
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Dr. Cecilia Blom, a Swedish Public Dental Health Service dentist in Åkersberg, Sweden is one of the practitioner-investigators participating in the DPBRN study "Blood sugar testing in dental practice". The photo below was taken just after a successful training session in Åkersberg, Sweden and include (from left to right): Dr. Blom, Pia Nørrisgaard (Regional Coordinator for Scandinavia), Dr. Vibeke Qvist (Principal Investigator for Scandinavia), and Dr. Liselotte (Lotta) Persson (Scandinavian Executive Committee Member).

February 2010 Monthly E-update
Wednesday, February 03, 2010

DPBRN Article in Today's FDA (Florida Dental Association)
Monday, February 01, 2010

The January/February 2010 issue of Today's FDA (Florida Dental Association) featured an article on the current and future studies in DPBRN. The article discusses the status of "Prevalence of questionable occlusal carious lesions", "Blood sugar testing in the dental practice", and "Primary management of TMJD pain". Please click here to read the article.

DPBRN Collaborative Group contributes a chapter on Dental Practice-Based Research Networks to Clinical Research in Oral Health book
Friday, January 29, 2010

Dr. Gregg Gilbert (DPBRN Network Chair), Ms. Andrea Mathews (DPBRN Program Manager), Dr. Dan Pihlstrom (DPBRN Executive Committee member), Dr. Brad Rindal (Principal Investigator of the Minnesota region) and Dr. Dale Williams (Principal Investigator of the DPBRN Coordinating Center) all contributed sections to a chapter entitled "Dental Practice-Based Research Networks" in Clinical Research in Oral Health. In it, they describe practice-based research in large group dental practices, data acquisition and analysis, study deployment, participant protection, and scientific peer review in dental PBRNs. To find out more information on the book, please click here to visit the publisher's website.

DPBRN Winter 2010 Newsletter
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The DPBRN Winter 2010 Newsletter is now available. Please click here to view the pdf version. If you would like to be added to the mailing list to receive the electronic version, please contact our Director of Communications.

January 2010 Monthly E-Update
Monday, January 04, 2010

Dental PBRN publication cited as "notable publication for the year" by the American Medical Informatics Association
Friday, January 01, 2010

As part of its annual "Year in Review", the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) selected a recent Dental PBRN publication as one of its "high impact publications in clinical informatics". The AMIA is the professional home for biomedical and health informatics and comprises an interdisciplinary and diverse group of individuals and organizations from more than 65 countries. Click here to visit the AMIA website. The article cited was: Houston TK, Richman JS, Ray MN, Allison JJ, Gilbert GH, Shewchuk RM, Kohler CL, Kiefe CI, for the DPBRN Collaborative Group. Internet-delivered support for tobacco control in dental practice: randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research 2008; 10(5): e38.

This internet-delivered intervention encouraged and provided tools to discuss tobacco use with dental patients. This randomized clinical trial was successful. During the study period, there was a greater increase in tobacco cessation advice in intervention practices, compared with control. This article was detailed at the DPBRN web site as the news item entitled "The latest results from DPBRN's first clinical trial are now publicly available". Click here to go to this news items page. Details about the "AMIA Informatics 2009 Year in Review" are available by clicking here.

Congratulations to all the investigators associated with the "Dental Tobacco Control Trial"!