GBA healthcare research - VersSeErZ - Care of rare, genetically caused diseases of the teeth
- Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Jan Kühnisch
- Affiliation: Department of Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology
- Funding: 2022 bis 2024
Rare, genetically determined diseases of the teeth are usually accompanied by pronounced functional limitations. These range from the absence of protective enamel (amelogenesis imperfecta), rapid attrition of all dental crowns (dentinogenesis imperfecta), premature loss of teeth (due to inflammatory periodontal diseases, among others) up to the absence of many teeth (ectodermal dysplasia, among others). Those affected require lifelong comprehensive dental care from early childhood on. This poses a major challenge to affected individuals and their families, as well as to all (dental) practitioners involved in their care. To date, there is a lack of systematically developed recommendations for the dental care of this patient group.
The aim of this guideline project is therefore to develop evidence- and consensus-based recommendations for the dental care of people with rare genetic diseases of the teeth. In addition to an interdisciplinary team of (dental) physicians, also self-help groups, patient associations and patient networks will participate in the development. The first main goal of the project will be the cardinal symptom-based description of rare dental diseases to cluster their diversity and avoid costly guideline processes for each individual disease. Closely related to the second goal - describing optimal treatment strategies for children, adolescents and adults - is the third goal of assessing new, digital approaches to dental rehabilitation. The project will be funded with a total of approximately 313,000 euros over a 30-month period.
The new S3 guideline developed at VersSeErZ will be published after completion of the project and be the first to describe comprehensive care strategies for this special patient group. In addition, desired quality standards will be defined and this information will be made available to patients, treatment providers and other interested parties.
Source: GBA Innovationsfonds