The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network 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 it, in, and for the benefit of “real world” everyday clinical practice. The major source of funding for the nation’s network is the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, or NIDCR, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.