$14.5 Million Grant Will Fund Dental Disparities Research

Main Category: Dentistry
Article Date: 09 Oct 2008 - 3:00 PDT

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Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM) has received a $14.5 million grant-the largest award in the School's history and among the 10 largest at Boston University Medical Campus-to fund the Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities (CREEDD) until 2015.

The Center's mission is to improve oral, dental, and craniofacial health through research, research training, and the dissemination of health information, as well as to eliminate oral health disparities. CREEDD began working toward this goal in 2001 when the NIDCR and National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities funded the Center.

The $14.5 million award will allow the Center to continue research on how to ensure equal oral health status for New Englanders of all social and ethnic groups.

"CREEDD is an outstanding Center whose research benefits oral health in communities across the Northeast," says BUGSDM Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter.

BUGSDM Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research Dr. Raul Garcia will serve as CREEDD's Principal Investigator and Professor and Assistant Dean for Community Partnerships and Extramural Affairs Dr. Michelle Henshaw will serve as Co-Principal Investigator.

"This award is a clear validation of our team's success over the past seven years in community-based oral health research," Dr. Garcia says.

CREEDD is one of five national centers for oral health disparities. The funding for these centers is the largest expenditure in the history of NIDCR.

The mission of Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine is to provide excellent education to dental professionals throughout their careers; to shape the future of dental medicine and dental education through research; to offer excellent health care services to the community; to participate in community activities; and to foster a respectful and supportive environment.

Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine