National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Oral Health + Overall Health

Swallowing, oral health, and saliva production are crucial factors for maintaining overall health and an optimal quality of life. While evidence suggests that these factors are inter-related in both health and disease, there is a paucity of evidence that has explored these factors and their potential relationships. Generating new knowledge of these factors and the relationships between them has the potential to positively... more »

Implementation of a program for increasing dental health awareness in teen is very important as their high sugar drink and frequent snacking is really harmful for teeth.

The idea is to develop measures that are more emotional and meaningful - like childhood development, loss of school-days and its effect on national development, adverse pregnancy outcomes....the elderly choking to death, etc.

The trend of the world's people to more natural and holistic options is making the patients ask more about natural products that can be used for their oral routine. Oil Pulling is a technique used in Ayurveda from hundred of years ago and is becoming popular today. As Dental providers we should do more research about it to be able to have the answers to those questions the patients are demanding.

Research addressing the oral health of the aging population is urgently needed. The US “65-and-over population is projected to nearly double over the next three decades, from 48 million to 88 million by 2050” (National Institute of Aging). According to the 2011-2012 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 25% of adults 75 and older were edentulous. NIDCR should prioritize research on the impact of aging on care... more »

Conduct research on how oral disease and craniofacial disorders affect social wellness, self-esteem and mental health status of individuals. Explore whether individuals with poor oral health, especially those in underserved populations with less opportunity or access to dental care, experience bias in society, for example hiring or promotion for jobs.

What is the relationship between the microbiome and a systemic disease state? Can we find a way to translate knowledge about the microbiome into better ways to diagnose and treat autoimmune diseases such as Sjogren’s?

We need funded long-term studies for home visits for prevention of early childhood caries (ECC). In 2007, Feldens et al. published results of a randomized trial of the effectiveness of home visits in preventing ECC in a fluoridated community in Brazil showing home visits for dietary advice reduced ECC. Feldens CA, Vîtolo MR, Drachler ML. A randomized trial of the effectiveness of home visits in preventing early childhood... more »

Secure support for long-term longitudinal studies aimed at improving the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of oral diseases and conditions. Such studies include the analysis of electronic health record data, as well as dental and medical claims data, to assess and improve treatment outcomes in dental patients across their lifespan.

Evaluation of the main oral health problems of approximately 6000 employees and 6000 dependents of a private hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

There appears to be few opportunities for basic science research other than under the “Oral Health + Overall Health” block where ‘the understanding of the underlying biological cause of disease’ is clearly mentioned. Although this can be a topic of intense basic science research, the Institute should provide some kind of disease priorities based on incidence/epidemiology and cost to society.

Hypothesis: The chronic and intermittent acute pain caused by Early Childhood Caries (ECC) is correlated to a higher pain tolerance throughout the lifespan and different incidence of chronic diseases than people who did not experience ECC .

Oral health issues related to drug addiction will require more attention. Drug abuse is associated with a number of oral diseases, such as, caries, periodontal diseases and tooth loss. Improved access to dentists and dental care and enhanced collaborations between the general health and oral health care will be needed to serve the addicts. More clinical and epidemiological studies related to oral health will be needed... more »

Can we better elucidate the relationship between oral health and overall health and disease? Are symptoms in the mouth reflective of similar symptoms and biological processes occurring in the rest of the body (for example, lymphocytic infiltration)? Sjogren’s serves as an excellent systemic disease to further understand this relationship, but examples of other health conditions and diseases certainly abound.

Multiple high-burden illnesses, including Sjogren’s, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and POTS, share overlapping features such fatigue, neuropathic, autonomic and cognitive symptoms. Understanding the reasons for the overlap would have benefit for a large group of high-burden, costly illnesses which result in decreased QOL and economic productivity.