SEMINAR: Big data is a big deal: How electronic data can improve research from a dental perspective

The Seminar: Despite many advances and innovations in dentistry, epidemiological data indicates that access and affordability continues to be a major barrier to visiting the dentist. This is despite unprecedented funding from state and local governments over the past decade and an increase in the number of training positions. Governments and various oral health groups have yet to reach an agreement on an appropriate funding mechanism and model of care. Resultantly, there have been range of short lived oral health policies in Australia. One major problem is the lack of evidenced based research applicable to the Australian climate. The introduction of the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS) represented the first major oral health policy to attract Medicare benefits. The CDDS not only provided an insight into how well actual policy fared under the current system but also an insight into effective methods of data collection. Data collection has traditionally been seen as one of the most taxing and vexing parts of research, especially in a field as large as epidemiology. This field of study typically requires large data where there are difficulties in sampling, methodological inadequacies, standardisation and statistical inferencing. Quite often, missing data is just as critical to data available for analysis. Enter electronic health and big data. Computer technology has not only changed clinical practice but also improved the way in which records are documented and how data is managed. As such, it is possible to seamlessly obtain complete or census data without many of the traditional barriers in data collection. Put simply, big data is a big deal and leads to better research and clinical outcomes. This seminar is an informal presentation which encourages interaction and aims to discuss epidemiology and e-health in the context of public health dentistry. Case examples will be discussed through a series of published articles as part of a thesis dissertation produced at the school. The significance of big data and how it can improve research and the delivery of health policy will be discussed as well as what missing data in epidemiology may mean in reality. Finally, the seminar will also offer insights into the presenters own experiences in publishing articles in peer reviewed journals.

The Speaker: Raymond completed his general dental training at The University of Western Australia. He graduated with honours and dux of his graduating year in 2008, winning the Wynn Needman Memorial Prize. He was also the recipient of the Pierre Fauchard Undergraduate Award of Merit for academic excellence and demonstrating leadership qualities. He achieved accreditation with the Australian Society of Implant Dentistry. Raymond is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons by Examination. He is currently the Regional Chair/President of the WA branch of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. Raymond is also a Senior Research Fellow at the International Research Collaborative-Oral Health and Equity, The University of Western Australia. He has over a dozen publications as primary author in local and international peer reviewed journals. Areas where he has published include dental trauma, dental public health and epidemiology, oral oncology, primary care dentistry, health law and eHealth. His current research is investigating the use of skeletal anchorage devices in orthodontics. Raymond has also been a reviewer for various health journals in Australia. He completed his doctorate thesis titled “How to improve dental health and make oral health policy work” at The University of Western Australia. Raymond has been in full time general practice dentistry and has worked in various settings since 2009. This included experiences both country and metropolitan clinics, government health services and private practice dentistry. He also served as an after-hours emergency consultant at Royal Perth Hospital.