Improving Dental Care for All through a New Research Network
Official title: Developing a Dental School Practice-Based Research Network Model through Collaborative Oral Health Research & Education (CORE)
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11158838 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project aims to create a new research network within dental schools to help address health differences and improve dental care for diverse communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $722,010 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DE033228-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11158838 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This initiative is relevant to adult patients aged 21 and older, particularly those of Black race, who receive dental care in academic oral health centers in Baltimore.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not receive dental care at the participating academic oral health centers in Baltimore may not directly benefit from this specific network development.
What this research studies
This initiative focuses on building a network within dental school clinics to conduct patient-focused research, aiming to make dental care more fair and accessible for everyone. By training future dentists and researchers to consider health differences in their practice, we hope to improve the quality of care. We will also gather information on how racial bias might affect dental care in academic settings. This approach helps ensure that research directly benefits patients and addresses real-world health challenges.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to more equitable and higher-quality dental care for patients, especially those from underserved communities, by integrating research directly into dental education and practice.
How similar studies have gone: While practice-based research networks exist in medicine, this project represents a novel approach to developing such a model specifically within clinical dental education environments to address health equity.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oates, Thomas W — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Oates, Thomas W
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Coordinated Oral Health Promotion for Chicago Kids
A long-running study in Chicago is following children and their caregivers to find ways to reduce tooth decay and improve daily life for families.
-
Digital adolescent dental health program to reduce tooth decay in at-risk youth
A digital program designed for lower-income 7th and 8th graders to help them avoid tobacco use and sugary drinks to lower the risk of tooth decay.
-
Improving how schools deliver tooth care for kids using existing data
This project analyzes past school-based dental care data to help more underserved children get effective, affordable preventive treatment.
-
Host genetics and oral microbiome: big-data clues to oral health
A large study will combine human genetics, saliva bacteria, and health records to understand why oral diseases like cavities and gum disease occur in different people.
-
Understanding dry mouth in adults using AI to read electronic records
A new project uses AI to find adults with xerostomia in medical records and predict who will have worse oral health outcomes.
-
Oral health effects of buprenorphine and methadone in people with opioid use disorder
This project will explore how common MOUD medicines like buprenorphine (including dissolvable forms) and methadone may affect oral health in people with opioid use disorder.
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.