CRA Foundation
CRA Foundation
3707 North Canyon Road Ste #7A
Provo, Utah 84604
801-226-2121
ajohn@cranews.org
What is CRA?
There is no other organization like CRA anywhere in the world today! We have tried to explain why that is and What is CRA.
Why CRA?
CRA was founded in 1976 by clinicians who believed practitioners could confirm efficacy and clinical usefulness of new products and avoid both the experimentation on patients and failures in the closet. With this purpose in mind, CRA was organized as a unique volunteer effort where clinicians worldwide unite their expertise for the sole purpose of testing all types of dental products and disseminating results to colleagues throughout the world.
Our Mission and Purpose
Our mission and main purposes are:
To identify the outstanding products, techniques, and equipment for delivery of oral care through laboratory and clinical research.
To tell the truth as far as it is known about all our research findings.
To disseminate the research findings as broadly as possible through use of the CRA Newsletter, journal publications, trade magazines, dental courses, video tapes, computer networking, telephone, and any other communication tools.
To dedicate ourselves personally to serving our fellowman, realizing that volunteering to serve others is a way of serving God as long as we remain true to the service goal and free of the desire to personal gratification.
How does CRA Function?
Each year, CRA tests in excess of 650 different product brands, performing about 20,000 field evaluations. CRA tests all types of dental products, including materials, devices, and equipment, plus techniques. Worldwide, products are purchased from distributors, secured from companies, and sent to CRA by clinicians, inventors, and patients. There is no charge to companies for product evaluations. Testing is performed by combined efforts of 400 clinicians in 16 countries who volunteer their time and expertise, and 40 on-site basic scientists, engineers, and support staff. Every product is subjected to at least 2 levels of CRAÌs unique 3-tiered evaluation process that consists of:
Clinical Field Trials where new products are incorporated into routine use in a variety of dental practices, and compared by clinicians to products and methods they use routinely.
Controlled Clinical Tests where new products are used and compared under rigorously controlled conditions, and patients are paid for their time as study participants.
Laboratory Tests where physical and chemical properties of new products are compared to standard products.
Who Funds CRA?
Research funds come from subscriptions to the CRA Newsletter. Revenue from CRAÌs ÏDentistry Update?Ó courses support payroll for non-clinical staff. All Clinical Evaluators volunteer their time and expertise. CRA is a non-profit, educational and research institute. It is not owned in whole or in part by any individual, family, or group of investors. This system, free of outside funding, was designed to keep CRAÌs research objective and candid.
The Problem With New Dental Products
New dental products have always presented a challenge to clinicians because, with little more than promotional information to guide them, they must judge between those that are new and better, and those that are just new. Due to industryÌs keen competition and rush to be first on the market, clinicians and their patients often become test data for new products. Every clinician has, at one time or another, become a victim of this system. All own new products that did not meet expectations, but are stored in hope of some unknown future use or thrown away at considerable loss.
CRAÌs On-Site Personnel
Our on-site paid personnel consist of 40 basic scientists, engineers, and support staff. Revenue from CRAÌs ÏDentistry Update?Ó courses fund salaries.
Thousands of Dental Products
Thousands of dental products from all over the world arrive at CRA each year. Research funds come from CRA Newsletter subscriptions. Every product is subjected to at least two levels of CRAÌs three-tiered evaluation processes.
CRAÌs Clinical Facility
CRA's clinical facility resembles a private dental clinic. However, in this setting, it is the patients who are paid. Examples of products studied here are restorative materials, vital tooth whitening systems, air abrasion units, caries detection devices, and other types of dental equipment.
CRA Performs Laboratory Tests
CRA performs laboratory tests to determine physical and chemical characteristics of products such as compressive, tensile, and diametral tensile strengths. Thermal stressing and other methods are also used. Assays are conducted to verify product claims. For example, CRA has an extensive collection of data on fluoride of over 50 different dental products monitored for over five years.
CRA Has Extensive Microbiology Capabilities
A five-member team routinely works with pathogenic viruses and bacteria in tests on hundreds of infection control products from around the world such as masks, gloves, disinfectants, sterilizers, etc. Periodontal pathogens and organisms associated with dental decay, as well as microorganisms in water and air are addressed.
Newsletters
Currently, the CRA NEWSLETTER is published monthly in ten languages (English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese-Brazil, and Spanish) and has a readership exceeding 100,000. The CRA DENTAL HYGIENE NEWSLETTER is published 6 times a year and is available in English. Electronic versions of all printed English CRA resources are available online, which allows rapid searching of CRA Newsletters for concepts and products.
Buying Guide
Each December, CRA publishes a ÏDENTISTSÌ BUYING GUIDEÓ & a ÏDENTAL HYGIENE BUYING GUIDEÓ which list brand names, a brief description, sources, and costs of the best dental products evaluated during the past year. This is an essential resource for dental clinicians & hygienists. These buying guides can be purchased individually by contacting CRA.
Copyright © 2007 Clinical Research Associates
Votes:26
Comments: 0