Calling All Endodontists: Join the NDPBRN

The National Dental Practice-Based Referral Network (NDPBRN) conducts dental practice-based research to improve oral health and the efficiency and effectiveness of dental care. Its research is done in the “real world” of daily clinical practice and focuses on issues that will have an impact on patient health outcomes, patient satisfaction or the efficiency of the daily delivery of care.

The AAE supports the NDPBRN and encourages endodontists to participate. Endodontist involvement helps demonstrate the differences in care delivered by a generalist versus a specialist. For example, one NDPBRN study found that only 47% of general dentists use a dental dam during root canal treatment. Such findings can be used to better advocate for change in dental practices.

The NDPBRN soon will begin recruitment for a new study, PREDICT – Predicting Outcomes of Root Canal Therapy. The study will examine how factors from clinical practice influence outcomes, specifically treatment longevity, post-operative pain and persistent pain.

“The more endodontists who participate in the study, the more the specialty as a whole will benefit,” said NDPBRN member Dr. Alan S. Law, a Minnesota endodontist who is helping to conduct the PREDICT study. “We’ll be able to get more information on acute and persistent pain following root canal treatment and the factors that predict such pain.”

Interested endodontists can enroll in the NDPBRN now to complete training prior to the start of the study in early 2017. The study is designed to be easy to implement in a regular practice, and clinicians as well as patients will be compensated for their time. To enroll and for more information, visit the NDPBRN website.