Sidebar: Research Leads Oral Health Scientist to the White House

In a rare opportunity for any researcher, in December 2008 Suchitra Nelson, Ph.D., made a trip from Ohio to the White House in Washington, D.C. There, Nelson accepted a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, an honor that recognizes outstanding young scientists advancing biomedical and behavioral research for the nation. Only about a dozen or so are named each year by the President of the United States.

Nelson is a dental epidemiologist. Her goal is to reduce oral health disparities in underprivileged populations. Very low birth-weight infants (under three and a half pounds) are at high risk for a range of health problems, including poor oral health. They are known to have defects in the protective enamel of baby teeth, for example.

She is conducting a clinical study to determine whether a very low birth weight puts kids at risk for tooth decay later in life. Nelson is gathering data on tooth development and decay; diet, oral hygiene and access to care; as well as demographic factors such as socioeconomic status. She will then compare these variables in normal birth weight infants to look for differences.

Understanding the link between health risk factors such as very low birth weight and poor oral health can point to prevention strategies for special needs children. Those strategies could have wide-ranging effects on improving oral health in poor communities across the country.