The dental informatics program was established in 2013 at the Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) with Dr. Thankam Thyvalikakath as the founding director. It is one of only two the few nationally recognized dental informatics programs in the country. Since its inception, the program continues to advance the informatics role in advancing dental care. In 2019, the Regenstreif Institute, Inc. and the Indiana University School of Dentistry joined hands and launched the Joint Dental Informatics program to expand research on using informatics approaches to integrate dental and medical care and thus make oral health an integral part of a person’s overall health. Additionally, Dr. Thyvalikakath is a widely recognized and respected health informaticians. An accomplished procurer of grants, professor, and clinician, Dr. Thyvalikakath is currently leading the effort to establish a health information exchange between medical and dental providers.
It is the ambition of the school’s administration, under the expert guidance of Dr. Thyvalikakath, to continue advancing health informatics as a significant tool for producing computable knowledge data outcomes that can facilitate new research, and, subsequently, treatments for oral health diseases. IUSD and Regenstreif, through its federal and non-federal funded projects, and partners with The Regenstreif Institute, The National Institute for Health and informatics partners worldwide to continue to its pioneering efforts in oral health research. Using informatics heightens the use of patient data for oral health analysis and patient care strategic planning. Studies indicate have proved that strong oral health is essential to overall systemic health. The data collection, analysis, and outcomes studies will propel oral health care to the next level of overall patient care. IUSD is marking history again on its path to becoming the premier leader for in the advancement of using informatics in oral health care research.