Oral Diseases and Disorders Research - Research Centers

NIDCR extramural research programs support basic, translational, and clinical research projects in dental, oral, and craniofacial (DOC) health and disease through grants and cooperative agreements. NIDCR research centers focus on a variety of diseases and conditions through clinical trials, epidemiologic studies, practice-based research, the HIV/AIDS and oral health program, and studies of oral health in all areas of NIDCR programmatic interest. NIDCR encourages investigations that have the potential to translate findings into evidence-based clinical applications. NIDCR research areas of programmatic interest encompass DOC tissue mineralization and developmental anomalies; head and neck cancers; oral microbiology, including HIV/AIDS; orofacial pain and temporomandibular joint disorders; and salivary gland and rheumatic diseases. The portfolio also includes preclinical and translational research to advance precision medicine, computational and data science, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering, and the development of biomaterials and devices and immunomodulatory oral science, with the goal of accelerating translation, regulatory readiness, and clinical adoption of DOC-specific innovations. In addition, NIDCR supports patient-oriented, population, and community-based research aimed at improving DOC health across the nation. This includes biomedical and behavioral clinical trials, DOC health and epidemiology, and studies of fundamental biological processes.