Additional Topics

Practice-based Research in Oral Health (PROH)

The Practice-based Research in Oral Health (PROH) network is an infrastructure for performing a wide variety of oral health research studies in a diversity of practice settings across Oregon and southwest Washington. There are approximately 150 private practitioners that have expressed an interest in the network. They operate within their own practices, in their own communities, and on their own diverse patient pools.

The original funding was provided by an OHSU grant from the Oregon Opportunity fund and supplemented by the Austin Clinical Research Endowment. Other funding has been provided by study sponsors. 

Our goal is to conduct research studies that generate practical, timely information to be used by dental practitioners to enhance the quality and efficacy of oral health care. Studies undertaken to date are:

  • Cracked Tooth Survey
  • Temporary Crown Clinical Trial
  • Effects of Eugenol Concentration in ZOE Survey
  • Posterior Composite Clinical Trial
  • Unmet Dental Needs Screening
  • School of Dentistry Curriculum Survey
For more information, visit Practice-based Research in Oral Health network

Northwest Practice-based REsearch Collaborative in Evidence-based DENTistry (NW PRECEDENT)

NW PRECEDENT is a dental practice-based research network including 225 practitioners in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.  They conduct clinical studies in their own practices, based predominantly on ideas of interest generated by the member dentists.

Funding to support the infrastructure for this network is provided by grants from the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (an NIH Institute) to partners at the Schools of Dentistry at Oregon Health & Science University and the University of Washington.  This is the largest grant ever received from NIH by OHSU's School of Dentistry. 

Our goal is to conduct important and timely studies within the normal confines of a dental practice, thus enhancing the relevancy of the outcomes to the general practitioner. Study topics are as follows:

  • Oral Disease Prevalence Survey
  • Salivary Markers in Caries Risk Assessment
  • Case-Control Study of Osteonecrosis of the Jaws
  • Computer-Assisted Relaxation Learning
  • Assessing the Outcomes of Cracked Teeth
  • A Clinical Comparison of MTA and CaOH as Direct Pulp Capping Agents for Permanent Teeth
  • Dentin Hypersensitivity – Treatments in General Dental Practices
  • Dentin Hypersensitivity – Prevalence in Patients
  • Third Molar Extractions: For Whom is it Recommended, Who Has it Done, What are the Outcomes?
  • Assessing the Impact of Participation in Practice-based Research on Clinical Practice and Patient Care
  • Temporary Anchorage Devices in Orthodontic Practice
  • Overbite Retention
  • TMJD Survey
  • Treatments for Remineralization of White Spot Lesions
  • Genetic Factors in Caries Risk Assessment
  • Survey of Dentist Attitudes and Beliefs for Treatment of Children with Special Health Care Needs
  • Indirect Pulp Capping (or Partial Pulpotomy)
For more information, visit Northwest Practice-based Research Collaborative in Evidence-based Dentistry