Understanding Oral Health: Stress, Habits, and Neighborhood Factors
Official title: Multilevel Drivers of Oral Health: Psychosocial Stress, Health Behaviors, and Neighborhood
Funded at Virginia Commonwealth University · NIH-11190922 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how daily stress, lifestyle choices, and where people live affect the oral health of adults, especially those of Central and South American heritage.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R03 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project start | September 10, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $155,688 |
| NIH project number | 5R03DE034047-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11190922 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project focuses on understanding oral health patterns in adults, especially those of Central and South American ancestry, by analyzing existing electronic dental records.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not belonging to the demographic groups or without existing electronic dental records relevant to the study's scope may not directly benefit from this specific analysis.
What this research studies
Many adults experience common oral health issues like cavities and gum disease, with some groups facing higher risks. This project aims to understand why these differences exist by looking beyond individual choices. We want to see how factors like everyday stress, personal health habits, and the economic conditions of a neighborhood might influence oral health over time. By using existing dental records, we hope to uncover connections between these broader life experiences and a person's oral health. This information could help us better support the oral health of diverse adult populations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help us better understand the complex reasons behind oral health disparities and lead to new ways to support better oral health for adults, particularly those from Central and South American backgrounds.
How similar studies have gone: While individual factors influencing oral health are known, this project takes a novel approach by combining psychosocial stress, health behaviors, and neighborhood economic conditions to understand oral health disparities.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Garcia, Dina T — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Garcia, Dina T
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.