"The Dental Practice-Based Research Network (DPBRN)" is a consortium of participating practices and dental organizations committed to advancing knowledge of dental practice and ways to improve it. Essentially, it is "practical science" done about, in, and for the benefit of "real world" everyday clinical practice. DPBRN's major source of funding is the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).