About Our Department
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National Dental Practice Based Research Network
NIH-funded, we are the national administrative base for the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network. The National Network Director is Dr. Gregg Gilbert. Since its inception in 2005, the UAB-led network has conducted dozens of studies involving thousands of dental practitioners and patients, with statistical evidence that the results of those efforts are being well received by the scientific community.
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Community Outreach & Collaborations
Developing innovative oral health programs and partnerships focused on special populations and service to communities throughout the state, we serve as a hub for the school’s portfolio of community-based grants, contracts, and partnerships that enhance our state and local outreach. We also coordinate all external clinical rotations for third- and fourth-year D.M.D. students, providing them broad exposure to patients in the community in a variety of settings.
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Predoctoral Didactic and Clinical Education
We support the predoctoral curriculum by offering a variety of foundational didactic and clinical education experiences to D.M.D. students. In addition to external rotations, these include case- and evidence-based dentistry and a course on community dentistry that exposes students to issues facing dentistry within the wider community health arena.
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Biomaterials Program
At the heart of our biomaterials program is the M.S. in Dentistry, which educates students in basic material science with an emphasis on dental biomaterials. The program helps students develop the knowledge and skills necessary for productive research, clinical, and teaching careers. Our Biomaterials Research Lab performs mechanical, optical, and some biologic property testing for dental materials, with clinical research conducted in the BioHorizons Research Clinic.
The department’s mission is to improve oral health through teaching, research, and service, integrating the realms of clinical and community sciences.
Our goal is to bridge the gap between academic clinical research and real-world application to generate new knowledge to improve patient care and outcomes. In academic clinical settings, research is about developing applications for dental care and determining efficacy in highly controlled, ideal settings. In the community, it's about determining effectiveness in real-world settings in which clinicians and patients may be operating under a wide range of constraints, motivations, and incentives. Ultimately, knowledge from the community setting can provide ideas for new studies and lead to improvements in the academic setting.
Clinical and Community Sciences Organization Chart
Research and Scholarly Activity
Clinical & Community Sciences
Faculty in the Department of Clinical & Community Sciences are engaged in research and scholarly activity in these areas:
- Practice-based research and clinical research
- Behavioral sciences
- Geriatric dentistry
- Dental biomaterials and biomechanics
- Interprofessional practice and community health
Facilities
The Department of Clinical & Community Sciences, including the national administrative and resource center of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network, is primarily housed in UAB Medical Towers, located at 1717 11th Ave. S.
The biomaterials research laboratory is located on the seventh floor of the School of Dentistry building. The laboratory is supervised by Dr. Nathaniel Lawson. The lab contains an Instron universal testing device, Keyence digital microscope, non-contact profilometer, spectrophotometer, wear testing device, toothbrushing machine, crown preparation device, thermocycling device, glossmeter, precision sectioning saw, incubator, electric polishing wheels, and an Acuvol shrinkage measuring device.
Our clinical research facilities are housed within the BioHorizons Research Clinic, located on the sixth floor of the School of Dentistry building. This clinic was completely renovated in 2008. It has eight complete dental operatories, a dedicated waiting area, chart room/receptionist office, coordinator's office, conference room, sterilization area, equipment storage, and surgical suite. Each operatory has digital handpieces, high power LED curing lights and the clinic has a new phosphor plate digital radiograph system purchased in 2016. The clinic uses two Cannon DSLR cameras for intraoral photography.