BigMouth Dental Data Repository marks remarkable year of growth

BigMouth, a centralized repository for oral health data, has announced a year of significant expansion and achievement. Based at UTHealth Houston, the dental data collaborative has solidified its position as a vital resource for researchers seeking to improve oral health outcomes nationwide.

Developed in 2012, BigMouth aggregates partially de-identified electronic health record (more commonly referred to as EHR) data from a growing network of institutions, creating a robust database encompassing over 7 million patients, up from 4.7 million just a year ago. This dataset empowers researchers to explore critical questions surrounding oral health, from its connection to systemic conditions to the effectiveness of various dental treatments to disparities within specific demographics.

Professor Muhammad Walji, PhD, a key figure in the BigMouth initiative, said 2024 was a transformative year. At UTHealth Houston, he serves as the director of the Texas Center for Oral Healthcare Quality and Safety at the School of Dentistry and chair of the Department of Clinical and Health Informatics at the D. Bradley McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics.

“Our growth reflects the increasing recognition of the immense value of real-world dental data in driving meaningful advancements in oral health and patient care.”

Expanding Network, Amplifying Impact

BigMouth’s network has broadened significantly, expanding to 17 partner institutions with the addition of six new members. Notably, this year marked the inclusion of the first non-academic partner, demonstrating the initiative’s appeal across diverse health care sectors.

The expanded database is actively being utilized by researchers. In 2024, BigMouth supported 40 data requests, providing essential data for their studies. Additionally, the user base swelled to 740 registered users who collectively ran 25,860 queries through the i2b2-powered data repository.

National Recognition and Funding Boost

BigMouth’s impactful work has garnered national recognition. The initiative was awarded a prestigious R56 grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for its project, titled “FullMouth: Enhancing Dental Clinical Data and Reducing Disparities through Innovative ML Approaches,” led by Bunmi Tokede, DDS, MPH, DMSc, dual-appointed associate professor in the Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences and Department of Orthodontics at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry.

“This project aims to enhance the quality of BigMouth’s data through innovative, machine-learning approaches,” said Tokede. “AI-driven models thrive on extensive data, and it’s an exciting moment for BigMouth to be optimized as the premier national resource for real-world dental clinical data.”

Furthermore, BigMouth is now featured as a key data source on the NIDCR’s Data-Driven Science Hub, amplifying its visibility and accessibility to researchers nationwide.

The data housed within BigMouth has already driven impactful research, evidenced by numerous publications, including a notable study in the International Dental Journal exploring the relationship between periodontal disease, tooth loss, and systemic conditions. The BigMouth team has also actively engaged with the research community, presenting at prominent forums like the American Dental Education Association, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the National Dental Centre in Singapore, and a symposium at the International Association for Dental Research.

Looking Ahead: Continued Expansion and Innovation

The BigMouth team is actively planning for further expansion and innovation in 2025, with ambitious goals including:

• Integrating with Epic and NextGen EHR systems to streamline data acquisition.
• Standardizing data extraction for enhanced efficiency and interoperability.
• Incorporating multimodal data such as 2D and 3D imaging to enrich the dataset.
• Further enhancing data accessibility and interoperability for researchers.

“We’re incredibly excited about the future of BigMouth,” added Krishna Kumar Kookal, MS, who has been BigMouth’s data management architect since its inception. “We’re committed to continually improving our platform and expanding our reach to empower researchers with the data they need to make significant strides in oral health and ultimately improve the lives of millions.”

To further connect with the research community, BigMouth has also launched a presence on social media platforms, joining X and LinkedIn, to connect to a broader audience and share updates, insights, and achievements with the dental research community and beyond.

“With its impressive growth, national recognition, and ambitious future plans, BigMouth is poised to remain a leading force in driving data-driven advancements in oral health research and practice for years to come,” Walji said.

BigMouth’s UTHealth Houston team comprises Walji; Tokede; Kookal; Suhasini Bangar, program manager; and Fiyinfolu Kolade, research coordinator. The list of participating member institutions can be found on the BigMouth website.