On Jan. 30, Brenda Thacker, R.D.H., and Deborah McEdward, R.D.H., both regional coordinators with the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (National DPBRN) at the University of Florida College of Dentistry, participated in the Santa Fe Dental Hygiene Day at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla.
Thacker and McEdward shared information about the National DPBRN with senior dental hygiene students, focusing on the importance of research and research careers, and the active role they can play in research through the network when they are working in a private dental practice.
The network is funded by The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). Its purpose is to promote the general health of the American people, by improving their oral, dental and craniofacial health. The University of Florida in Gainesville is one of six institutions awarded a portion of a $67 million, seven-year grant from the institute. The grant has been used to create a national research network of dentists and dental hygienists.
For more information about the UF National Dental Practice-Based Research Network, visit their web page.
