Dental Clinical Research Facility

The below information is also available by reading our e-brochure.

The Newcastle Dental Clinical Research Facility (DCRF) is a dedicated clinical research environment for conducting high quality clinical dental research.

We are consistently one of the top recruiting sites to oral and dental research studies in the UK (NIHR CRN Portfolio). In 2023/24, we were the top recruiting site nationwide, recruiting over 600 participants across seven portfolio studies, significantly higher than the second top recruiter.

We have an excellent track-record of delivering our recruitment targets and have often been asked to over-recruit to support other sites.

As part of the university’s School of Dental Sciences, many of our projects are led by academics. We are supported by three university laboratories:

• Cell and Molecular Biosciences Lab (for immediate sample processing, nucleic acid and protein analysis, microbiological research and cell culture),
• Biomaterials Lab (mechanical and physical characterisation, fluoride content measurement, and atomic force microscopy)
• Electrophysiology Lab.

We also have access to wider specialist facilities across the university’s Faculty of Medical Sciences, and to the Newcastle Joint Research Office (NJRO), which facilitates the process of bench to bedside research.

Our facilities

• Four dedicated dental surgeries, two of these are equipped with advanced equipment (e.g. operating microscopes) to deliver specialist care.
• We serve a population of 3m people across the north of England and around 110,000 patients attend the dental hospital yearly.
• The dental hospital also has over 180 dental chairs across seven main departments.
• We support the Northern Dental Practice Based Research Network.
• Three dedicated and experienced research dental nurses who run and manage clinical activity during trials. Dental hygienist with significant research experience.
• Visiting specialist clinicians who deliver our clinical trials.

We also have access to clinical trial co-ordinators who are responsible for co-ordination of a trail, and data managers who collect and record trial data.

Expertise

We currently conduct trials across oral medicine, oral surgery, restorative dentistry and periodontics. We have particular experience in delivering clinical research, including trials, on toothbrushes, new treatments and e-cigarettes.

We also support the Northern Dental Practice Based Research Network (NBPBRN), which is made up of dental professionals across the north of England who are interested in dental research. Many of the NBPBRN practices have worked with us on a range of research studies, playing a key role in identifying and recruiting participants.

Example projects

ORION (ongoing)

This study is a collaboration between colleagues at Newcastle University, University College London and the national NIHR Bioresource service. They study aims to explore potential links between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and periodontitis. A range of participants with different IDB histories are invited to attend for a comprehensive oral examination and sample collection. Analysis of the samples is being conducted in the Cell and Molecular Biosciences Lab.

ENHANCE-D (ongoing)

This is a large multi-centre randomised controlled trial funded by NIHR (£3M). Newcastle University is the lead. There are seven other university hubs across the UK. The format of this study is a little different – a hub and spoke model. The study is run in primary care dental practices which we support as a regional hub. We have nine practices in our region.

Our research team visits the practices to complete examinations, blinded to the study interventions. The trial is investigating the effectiveness, cost effectiveness and safety of different smoking cessation interventions (including e-cigarettes). National recruitment is currently at almost 1,000 and as a region we have contributed a significant portion of these.

CALCULUS (ongoing)

A collaboration with bioarchaeologists at University of Leicester. Funded by the Leverhulme Trust. An investigation of the microbiome over 600 years. We are providing 100 highly characterised modern samples for analysis against historical specimens.

PROGRESSS ( recently completed)

A global study to determine the natural history of HPV. We were one of the biggest UK sites, recruiting 80 participants. Industry funded.

EXPERIMENTAL GINGIVITIS (recently completed)

A study to explore the metagenome resilience in experimental gingivitis (20 participants). Industry funded.

SWAB study (recently completed)

A 6-week evaluation of a rapid SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing system, prior to an outpatient/primary care appointment. Industry funded.

DETECT ATRIAL FIBRILLATION (recently completed)

This study, a collaboration with Edinburgh Napier University and Newcastle University, aims to evaluate if the dental setting is cost effective and suitable for screening for atrial fibrillation (AF). A secondary aim is to examine associations with dental diseases such as periodontitis. So far, over 600 participants have been recruited, of which six patients with undiagnosed AF have been identified.

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