Alan B. Carr, D.D.S., M.S., F.A.C.P., was confirmed Education & Research Division Director of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) on Friday, Oct. 11, at the ACP Annual Awards & President's Dinner during the College's 43rd Annual Session in Las Vegas. Dr. Carr is on the staff of Mayo Clinic and is certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics. He is co-author of a scientific journal article for the ACP Journal of Prosthodontics, titled Practice-Based Evidence from 29-Year Outcome Analysis of Management of the Edentulous Jaw Using Osseointegrated Dental Implants.
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"Like diabetes or high blood pressure, tooth loss is a long-term chronic condition. Dental implants can be successfully used to manage the condition, yet, like other chronic conditions, will need consistent follow-up and maintenance care," Dr. Carr, a Professor of Dentistry at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, said.
Dr. Carr's ACP Journal of Prosthodontics article permits patients, dentists, and professionals involved in elder care to access the first and only practice-based evidence research results that analyze nearly 30 years of oral health data. The authors reviewed charts from 255 patients who had received dental implants at the Mayo Clinic and finished their treatment there, some beginning their treatment as early as 1981.
"As with all science there is a caveat: the type of patient being seen in the early 80s was somewhat different from the patient being seen today," Dr. Carr said. "Today's patient is more likely to choose tooth extraction and implant placement whereas some of the patients from the early 1980s had been without teeth for an extended period. Will complications of today's patients be different? Future research is needed."
That's why Dr. Carr's appointment as ACP's Education & Research Division Director comes at an exciting time. Prosthodontists are working to take dentistry to a whole new level for patient care via evidence-based research as well as practice-based research.
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Dr. Carr focuses on combined prosthodontics and reconstruction of patients with disabling oral conditions. His research interests include clinical outcomes associated with oral reconstructions using oral implants, tobacco cessation, and the role of oral health in medical care delivery. He also answers questions from the general public about oral health issues on MayoClinic.com.
Like medicine, dentistry has taken incredible leaps forward in the past decade. Prosthodontists are at the forefront of this innovation by applying their advanced training and commitment to life-long learning of new materials; using state of the art digital dentistry tools to help patients save time, visits, and expenses; and applying advanced training for beautiful specialized dentistry, optimal oral health, and improved patient outcomes. Patients are opting to go to a prosthodontist.
For more information about the American College of Prosthodontists, visit gotoapro.org.
