Network

Newsletter

Do you see adults with chronic TMD-related pain? Tell us how you manage and coordinate their care in our short Quick Poll to help shape upcoming Network research.

How can dental research better reflect the realities of patients in rural and underserved communities? A recent Network publication examines how dentists and patients in rural areas and Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas are contributing to practice-based research. Read the blog post to learn how your participation in Network studies supports progress toward greater representation in dentistry.

On May 12, our Network came together at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry for the 2026 National Meeting of Network Practitioners.

The program featured a keynote from Dr. Daniel McNeil opened with a compelling keynote connecting oral health to whole-person health. Brief updates on DIRR, POPS, and FreSH set the stage for what followed: practitioner-led breakout discussions on translating Network findings into real clinical decisions.



Dr. Gilbert closed with numbers worth celebrating: more than 78,000 patients enrolled in studies, 255 peer-reviewed publications, and 58 completed studies, along with a preview of future directions as the Network prepares for its next funding cycle.

At the 2026 National Meeting, Network members heard new findings on implant complications, tobacco cessation, and post-operative pain. The studies emphasized long-term implant function, practical use of free nicotine-replacement therapy samples, and real-world pain patterns that support non-opioid management in the first week after procedures.

What happens when a clinician in training gets early exposure to real, practice-based research? For Noha Rashwan, it launched a career at the intersection of digital dentistry and AI-driven oral health science. Rashwan contributed to our eHygiene mobile dentistry study and her story is a reminder of what our Network makes possible: a place where clinical curiosity and rigorous science grow together.

Improving the nation's oral health by improving

the knowledge base for clinical decision-making

and moving the latest evidence into routine care

The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network is supported by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), grants U19-DE-028717 and U01-DE-028727