Mission Statement

The ODU Dental Hygiene Research Center (DHRC) is dedicated to conducting high-quality, clinical, and population-based research to explore diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment of conditions that are related to overall health. The Center, officially sanctioned by the University in 2000, is the first worldwide facility dedicated solely to dental hygiene research. The Center strives to advance oral and general health through interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research in collaboration with other disciplines, academic institutions, medical facilities, private industry, and the community.

The Center represents a dental hygiene research paradigm, unique for undergraduate and graduate education because currently no other dental hygiene program has such a facility. Research is an integral and essential component of the School of Dental Hygiene's educational mission whereby students experience the link between theory and practice.Students and faculty work collaboratively to create new knowledge through discovery, application of evidence-based knowledge, and dissemination of knowledge through scholarly publications and presentations.

The Center provides designated clinical and laboratory space which centers around the development of safe, effective measures to prevent and treat common oral conditions; expand knowledge of occupational risk assessment and ergonomic issues related to the practice of dental hygiene and other health care professionals; expand knowledge related to dental techniques, products, and devices; and explore the relationship between oral and systemic health.