ADA, Penn Dental Medicine announce first living guideline program dedicated to oral health
The American Dental Association (ADA) and the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at Penn Dental Medicine have announced the launch of the first and only known living guideline program dedicated to oral health. This pioneering initiative will provide oral health professionals and patients with real-time, evidence-informed recommendations designed to improve patient care, enhance clinical decision-making, and advance public health worldwide.
Addressing a global challenge
Oral diseases affect nearly half of the world’s population, and the number of cases is rising faster than global population growth. According to Dr Ashraf Fouad, chair of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs and professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry, this new program will give dentists and healthcare professionals continually updated, evidence-based information to better manage oral health challenges and improve outcomes.
First focus: Oral cancer guidelines
The program’s initial project will update the 2017 ADA guideline on evaluating potentially malignant disorders and oral squamous cell carcinoma in the oral cavity. The first recommendation from this update is expected to be published digitally later this year in The Journal of the American Dental Association and on ADA.org.
Innovative approach and technology
Guideline topics are chosen and prioritized by an advisory group that includes members of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs and representatives from other governmental and professional dental organizations. The living guideline approach integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies to rapidly incorporate new biomedical evidence into existing guidelines, replacing the traditional 3–5 year update cycle.
Maintaining scientific rigor
These living guidelines maintain the same methodological standards as traditional guidelines but are updated as soon as relevant new evidence is reviewed. This ensures patients, practitioners, and policymakers have immediate access to the most current recommendations, helping them make informed decisions without delay.
“This initiative builds upon the ADA’s foundational work in guideline development and brings an unprecedented level of responsiveness to the profession,” says Alonso Carrasco-Labra, principal investigator and associate professor at Penn Dental Medicine. “Our goal is to integrate new evidence into care recommendations quickly and accurately.”
Improving oral health at scale
Mark S. Wolff, Morton Amsterdam Dean at Penn Dental Medicine, emphasized the potential impact: “We are proud to bring this important service to our profession and look forward to improving the oral health of millions of patients through these guidelines.”
With its focus on rapid evidence integration, global oral health challenges, and technological innovation, the ADA Living Guideline Program represents a major step forward in patient-centered, evidence-based dentistry.
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