Christopher H. Fox

Cross-sectional studies in periodontal disease: current status and implications for dental practice.

This paper reviews the cross-sectional national studies of periodontal disease conducted over the past 30 years. Studies included are the 1960-62 HES study (NCHS), the 1971-74 NHANES I study (NCHS), the 1981 RTI study (HRSA), and the 1985-86 Employed Adults study (NIDR). For each of these surveys, the population studied, the general sampling strategy, the periodontal measures collected, and the periodontal findings are compared in this paper. Compared with the first three studies, the NIDR 1985-86 findings appear markedly lower, implying that there has been a decline in the prevalence of periodontal disease. Two possible inferences from these studies are that: (1) there has been a decline in the prevalence of periodontal disease in recent years or (2) the sampling and measurement methods may be sufficiently different for these lower numbers to result. Each inference is explored, with the authors concluding that the latter is more plausible. The implications for future treatment needs are then estimated, given the marked trends in the size of the aging population. The number of older adults over age 55 who will need periodontal services will increase. The adequacy of the number, type, and distribution of dental care providers to meet these increasing needs is discussed.

The vital role of research funding in preserving the oral health of the public and the dental profession

Maxine Feinberg, DDS; Lily T. Garcia, DDS, MS, FACP; Peter J. Polverini, DDS, DMSc; Christopher H. Fox, DMD, DMSc; Richard W. Valachovic, DMD, MPH I f the United States is serious about improving the nation’s oral health and reducing oral health disparities, it is critical that we continue to invest in dental, oral, and craniofacial research—and in the pipeline, to develop and support future oral health researchers. Research is fundamental to discovering new ways to prevent and address oral disease, and it yields an added benefit. Developing innovative approaches to reduce persistent oral health disparities enables better overall health. As former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop once said, “You’re not healthy without good oral health.” Research published within the past 50 years has significantly enhanced our understanding of disease processes and expanded the tools we have to prevent, diagnose, and treat dental, oral, and craniofacial conditions. Yet, oral diseases persist on a scale that is poorly understood and wholly unacceptable. The 2010 Global Burden of Disease study showed that 3.9 billion people had oral conditions, with untreated dental caries in permanent teeth the most prevalent disease, affecting 35% of the world’s population. Despite the relatively high standard of living in the United States, 1 in 5 Americans is afflicted with dental caries according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2012, the CDC also found that 7% of US adults had no natural teeth. National expenditures on dental services represent approximately 4% of overall national health spending,

Effects of the Platelet-Derived Growth Factor/Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Combination on Bone Regeneration Around Titanium Dental Implants. Results of a Pilot Study in Beagle Dogs

111 billion out of

Oral Health Status of the Elderly in New England

2.9 trillion in 2013. To put this in perspective, in a 2012 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report, the total expenses related to cardiac conditions were approximately the same at

Periodontal disease among New England elders.

101 billion. We have both a human and vested interest in improving oral health and reducing the national burden of the costs of dental care. Adequate investment in research can help set that path. We are still far from knowing all there is to understand about the disease process and what it takes to eradicate oral diseases. Achieving this objective will require research on many fronts—the microbiota of the mouth, oralsystemic relationships, behavioral sciences, environmental influences, prevention, and population health strategies aimed at overcoming oral health disparities, and genetics and genomics to facilitate new diagnostic techniques and personalized health care. We also will need research on how we can best prepare dental professionals to deliver more effective care and to educate patients and communities about preserving their own oral health. Research also helps define us as a profession. The dental profession must continue to support clinically relevant science to advance our knowledge of