Before the 1980s it was difficult to grow three-dimensional cells in vitro. Then NIDR scientist Hynda Kleinman produced a viscous matrix derived from a mouse tumor which proved receptive to the growth and differentiation of cells of many types. NIH applied for a patent in 1985. Known as Matrigel®, Kleinman's innovation remains the industry standard today.

During the mid-1980s NIDR researchers studied the dental health of more than 20,000 adults. The study revealed that toothlessness had decreased dramatically among adults under 65 years of age, although it remained a problem for older Americans. Periodontal disease also remained a problem among older populations.

In 1985, John Termine, chief of the Mineralized Tissue Research Branch, and investigator Pamela Robey developed the standard method of culturing human bone-forming cells in vitro, making possible a host of later investigations into bone-related disorders. As discussed in this video, Robey and other NIDR scientists went on to link bone marrow stromal cells to diseases such as fibrous dysplasia.

NIDR scientists began studying pain during the 1950s. In 1983, Neurology and Anesthesiology Branch Chief Ronald Dubner convinced NIH to support the creation of a multi-institute, multidisciplinary pain clinic. The NIH Pain Research Clinic, managed by NIDR, was the first such center in the United States. Read more about pain research at NIDCR here.

Harald Löe was NIDR director from 1983 to 1994. The gingivitis expert expanded periodontic research and promoted molecular biology and established NIH's first multidisciplinary pain clinic. Löe integrated the National Caries Program into the Institute's regular structure and stepped up training, minority oral health, and global oral health through an innovative centers program created to fund specialized research.

In 1979, intramural scientist Pamela Gehron Robey, along with Max Planck researcher Rupert Timpl, reported the discovery of laminin, a glycoprotein found in the basement membranes that make up most structures in the body. Subsequent work by NIDR scientists determined that laminins promote cell adhesion and nerve growth. Read the groundbreaking paper here.

In June, Dr. Marie Ussing Nylen became Director of Intramural Research and NIH's first woman scientific director. A native of Denmark, Nylen first came to NIDR in 1949. Nylen pioneered electron microscopy of tooth enamel, made foundational observations regarding dental structure and development, and according to colleagues, "made pathways for similarly interested young women to follow."

During the 1960s Public Health Service sociologist Lois Cohen pioneered dental social science at the PHS. Cohen took over Institute's fledgling program in 1976, applying social science research to the evaluation of NIDR's research programs and the production of its long-range plans. NIDCR-sponsored studies continue to explore fluoride skepticism, public aversion to dentistry, and practitioner resistance to disease diagnosis.

David Scott was among the first NIDR staffers and an early expert in electromicroscopy. After a stint in academia, Scott became NIDR director in 1976. Scott extended the Institute's fledgling social and behavioral research program and promoted research in virology, oral cancer, and mineralized tissue. Scott also spearheaded creation of the Clinical Investigation and Patient Care Branch integrating research and treatment. He retired in 1981.

In 1971 Congress funded the National Caries Program (NCP), a joint intramural and extramural effort to combat tooth decay on multiple fronts ranging from testing sugar substitutes to applying dental sealants. In 1983, after completing landmark clinical trials, school and community-based demonstrations, and a survey of caries in schoolchildren, the program was integrated into NIDR's regular structure.