1985 NIDR convenes at meeting at NIH of over 160 deans and senior officials from almost every dental school in the U.S. and Canada to explore keys issues in dental research and education. 1984 NIDR inaugurates the Dentist Scientist Award Program to enable more dentists to undertake dental research. NIDR releases the national findings from its Oral Health of United States Adults survey. Data show American adults are keeping their teeth longer than surveys indicated during the 1960s and 1970s, and that other aspects of the nation's oral health are generally improving. The Institute releases the findings of its second National Caries Prevalence Study.
Data show that half of all American schoolchildren now have no tooth decay.
The National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse is established as a centralized resource for patients, health professionals, and the public seeking information on the oral health of special care patients. Dr. Harold C. Slavkin is named the sixth NIDR director. Prior to coming to NIDR, Dr. Slavkin served over 26 years in various capacities at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry, including director for the Center for Craniofacial Biology. The first community conference in the Institute's history is held in May for employees to review the NIDR strategic planning process to date and to discuss the NIDR mission, vision, situation audit, strategic initiatives, management principles, and plans for the future. Focusing on the areas of research opportunities, research capacity, and health promotion, the document serves as a critical structure within which multiple Institute initiatives will be undertaken.