Office of Research: News

The College of Dentistry and Dr. Guy R. Adami, Associate Professor, Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences and Chair of the Edward C. Wach Fund Committee, would like to announce this year's award recipients for the Edward C. Wach Fund: Dr. Robyn S. Silberstein, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Co-Investigator, Dr. Anne Koerber, Associate Professor, & Director of Behavioral Science in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry.

Dr. Silberstein and Dr. Koerber received $8,305.50 to test a new patient questionnaire, the Retainer Adherence Likelihood Questionnaire (RALQ). This questionnaire will be used to predict patient compliance. They will test face validity, inter-item correlations and discriminate validity. They will test the value of the RALQ questionnaire to a prescribed retainer wear protocol. To this end they will compare microsensor monitor acquired retainer wear data and self reported log retainer wear data. A validated and tested patient questionnaire for adherence is essential. This will be followed by clinical intervention studies for improved and predictable retention outcomes. The prospect of having an accurate predictor of patient adherence to recommended treatment regimens is pivotal to improved treatment success in many aspects of orthodontics as well as dentistry and medicine.