The Dental Hacks Podcast

This classic Dental Hacks episode features a long-form interview with Dr. Rella Christensen of TRAC Research (formerly CRA). The discussion covers the history of independent product evaluation, the challenges of maintaining objectivity in dental research, and significant findings regarding restorative materials and caries management. The original interview had really poor sound quality but a little help from an Adobe AI filter really cleared it up. This interview was worth another listen, I think! Key Interview Highlights 1. The Origins and Ethics of TRAC Research History: The organization began in 1976 (founded by Gordon Christensen) with the goal of collecting subjective data from clinicians to create objective "Consumer Reports" style rankings for dentistry. Unbiased Stance: Dr. Christensen emphasized that TRAC is a non-profit foundation that accepts no funding from manufacturers. If a company refuses to provide a product for testing (often fearing a negative review), TRAC purchases it on the open mark