Abtract
Background and Overview
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, or NIDCR, in 2001 sponsored the establishment of Centers for Research to Reduce Oral Health Disparities. The centers are based at Boston University; New York University; the University of Michigan; the University of Washington; and the University of California, San Francisco. Reflecting the importance of research to reduce disparities, the centers, along with related grants, represent one of the largest financial commitments ever made by the NIDCR. The centers are sponsored in part by the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities, or NCMHHD. Each of the five centers has forged partnerships that include ties with dental societies, state and local health agencies, community and migrant health centers, American Indian tribal nations and institutions that serve other diverse patient populations.
Conclusions and Clinical Implications
This network is attempting to address the needs of communities with poor oral health. A major part of the effort of these new centers is to build community networks and establish long-term relationships. Center investigators also recognize that solutions to these vexing problems must be built on an understanding of the social, economic, racial, educational, political and behavioral factors that affect most health care issues.
- The Centers for Research to Reduce Oral Health Disparities are supported, in part, by grants U54 DE 014264, DE 014261, DE 014257, DE 014403 and DE 14254 from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md.
Dr. Milgrom is a professor, Department of Dental Public Health Sciences, and the director, Northwest/Alaska Center to Reduce Oral Health Disparities, School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Box 357475, Seattle, Wash. 98195-7475.
Dr. Garcia is a professor and the chair, Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, and director, Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities, Boston.
Dr. Ismail is a professor, Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, School of Dentistry, and the Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He also is director of the Detroit Center for Research on Oral Health Disparities.
Dr. Katz is a professor and the chair, Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, and the director, New York University Oral Cancer Research on Adolescent and Adult Health Promotion Center, New York University College of Dentistry.
Dr. Weintraub is Lee Hysan Professor and the chair, Division of Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health, Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco. She also is director, Center to Address Disparities in Children’s Oral Health, San Francisco.
-
*Abstract online at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002817714646420
Print 
PDF