Dentists in practice-based research networks have much in common with dentists at large: evidence from the Dental Practice-Based Research Network.

Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) aim to improve clinical practice by engaging dental practitioners in studies that are directly relevant to daily clinical practice. The Dental Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN) consists of dentists from seven U.S. states and three Scandinavian countries. All DPBRN dentists complete an enrollment questionnaire about their practices and themselves; as of this writing, 1,086 have done so. To quantify the similarities between DPBRN dentists and U.S. dentists at large, this article compared DPBRN practice characteristics to those of dentists who responded to the 2004 ADA Survey of dental practice, which is not limited to ADA members. DPBRN dentists were similar to U.S. dentists in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, number of offices, percentage of patients with insurance coverage, number of operatories, patient visits per week, days for a new appointment, and waiting room time. DPBRN dentists were statistically more likely to be recent graduates. The commonalities should increase the likelihood that DPBRN studies will be applicable to U.S. practices, thereby fostering knowledge transfer in both research-to-practice and practice-to-research.