Finding and fixing missed gum disease diagnoses
Diagnostic Failures in Dentistry
This project searches dental records for missed, delayed, or wrong gum disease diagnoses so adults with gum problems can get the right care sooner.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136321 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project looks at dental care from your point of view and aims to find when gum disease was missed, delayed, or labeled incorrectly in patient records. Researchers will use a new computer method to scan electronic dental records at two university dental centers and find diagnostic problems. They will link those findings to outcomes like pain, tooth loss, extra treatments, or repeat visits to understand how missed diagnoses affect people. The team uses a standard dental diagnosis system they helped create so diagnoses can be compared consistently across records.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with gum (periodontal) disease or anyone whose dental records are held at the participating academic dental centers are the best fits for this work.
Not a fit: People without gum disease or those who get dental care outside the participating centers are less likely to see direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to earlier and more accurate gum disease diagnosis, reducing pain, tooth loss, and unnecessary treatments.
How similar studies have performed: This is the first large, systematic look at diagnostic errors in dentistry, though similar EHR-mining methods have been used successfully in other areas of medicine.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Walji, Muhammad — University of Texas Hlth Sci Ctr Houston
- Study coordinator: Walji, Muhammad
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.