Benjamin Chaffee, DDS, MPH, PhD
The overarching goal of our team’s epidemiologic research program is to understand how various behaviors, biological attributes, and social circumstances influence health and disease distributions, often inequitably, across populations. Application of such knowledge aims to inform future public health practices, health policies, and clinical guidelines that elevate the health of patients and vulnerable communities. A research focus has been understanding tobacco use perceptions and behaviors among adolescents, particularly new and emerging products and in the context of evolving tobacco regulatory policies. Other areas of interest include engaging dental professionals in providing patients with tobacco cessation support, early-life experiences in relation to childhood oral health, and prevention-focused, patient-tailored approaches to manage oral disease.