About

Marianne Jurasic is a Clinical Professor of General Dentistry at the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine. She also serves as the Director of the Center for Clinical Research and is a Clinical Professor of Health Policy & Health Services Research. She holds an MPH in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University, obtained in 2011, and a DMD from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, earned in 1995. Her professional roles involve overseeing clinical research initiatives and contributing to health policy and health services research within the dental school. Her work emphasizes the integration of clinical practice with research and health policy, supporting the school's mission to provide state-of-the-art dental care and education.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Dentistry
• Emergency medicine
• Medical emergency
• Environmental health
• Family medicine
• Pediatrics
• Endocrinology

Selected publications

• Factors associated with dental fear and anxiety among smokers in urban dental clinics: a cross-sectional analysis

  BMC Oral Health · 2026-01-13 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Smokers have a high prevalence of oral health issues, placing them at greater risk for dental fear and anxiety and appointment non-attendance. To our knowledge, no studies examine patient's characteristics associated with dental fear and anxiety in smokers. We investigated the association between a constellation of factors and dental fear and anxiety in cigarette smokers to guide future intervention development. METHODS: This is a secondary analysis of baseline data collected between 12/15/20 and 7/28/24 from adult dental patients who were scheduled for an appointment at one of two urban university-affiliated dental school clinics and enrolled in a trial on motivating smoking cessation (n = 424, 48.2% female, M age = 47.5+/-12.9, 32.0% below poverty level). Participants completed measures electronically: demographics (age, gender, education, ethnicity, race, relationship status, employment status), smoking history (smoking frequency, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, motivation to quit in 30 days, confidence to quit), psychosocial factors (Perceived Stress Scale and PHQ-2 depression), dental-related factors (subjective dental health, pain level during dental cleanings, and past-year dental cleaning visit), and the 8-item Index of Dental Anxiety and Fear (IDAF-C). We fit four bivariate linear regression models based on the above categories to identify variables associated with IDAF-C at p ≤ .15, which were then entered into a multivariable regression model to examine significant (p < .05) associations with IDAF-C. RESULTS: = 0.238, p < .001), greater perceived stress (b = 0.07, SE = 0.02, p < .001), greater pain level (b = 0.14, SE = 0.02, p < .001), poorer subjective dental health (b = 0.16, SE = 0.07, p = .03), and higher nicotine dependence (b = 0.05, SE = 0.02, p = .024) were significantly associated with higher IDAF-C scores, while gender and education were not-significant. CONCLUSIONS: Gender and education accounted for a small portion of the association with IDAF-C, while malleable factors such as pain during cleanings, subjective dental health, nicotine dependence, and perceived stress accounted for a larger proportion of the variance, having the potential to guide future intervention development. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: This research was funded by the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR; B. Borrelli, PI. 5UH3DE028866); ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT04524533).

  PublisherDOI

• The association between long-term opioid therapy and composite infection-related dental outcomes

  PLoS ONE · 2026-02-02

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: The Food and Drug Administration's warning that transmucosal buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist used to treat opioid use disorder and chronic pain, may cause dental disease opens questions about potential class-wide adverse effects involving more widely prescribed opioid analgesics. METHODS: This was a retrospective matched national cohort study of patients in care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) between October 2010-September 2019. Patients prescribed LTOT were matched 1:2 to patients not prescribed LTOT on age, sex, service region, and VA dental coverage. Cox regression models estimated the association between LTOT and a composite infection-related dental outcome (CIDO). Sensitivity analyses excluded patients with cancer, restricted to patients with comprehensive dental coverage, and to patients with ≥180 days of follow-up time, respectively. RESULTS: The cohort comprised 2,173,435 patients including 787,825 (36%) receiving LTOT; 612,101 (28%) experienced CIDO. In both simple and multivariable regression models, LTOT exposure was associated with greater CIDO risk; HR (95% CI) =1.24 (1.23, 1.25); aHR (95% CI) =1.08 (1.07, 1.08), respectively; p < 0.001. Sensitivity analyses showed similar results except among patients with full dental coverage for whom CIDO rates were substantially higher and LTOT was not statistically significantly associated with risk. CONCLUSIONS: he observed positive association between LTOT and CIDO in this large VA sample may inform patient-provider discussions and decision-making around use of LTOT. High CIDO rates among patients with full VA dental coverage may reflect their unique vulnerability to dental infection associated with service-related dental or disabling conditions. Limitations include risk for ascertainment bias, unclear generalizability to a broader clinical population, and the potential for residual confounding.

  PublisherDOI

• Impact of educational level on tooth loss and edentulism: a systematic review

  BDJ · 2026-02-06

  article
  PublisherDOI

• A generalizable teaching assistant training module for predoctoral courses: A needs assessment

  Journal of Dental Education · 2024-05-20

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effect Modification by Obesity on Nonsurgical Periodontal Treatment

  JDR Clinical & Translational Research · 2024-10-09 · 2 citations

  articleSenior author

  Introduction: Obesity is associated with increased periodontal disease prevalence and incidence. This retrospective cohort study examined whether body mass index (BMI) is an effect modifier of periodontal treatment outcomes in patients attending an urban dental school clinic. Methods: Data were extracted from electronic health records of 344 patients at a large urban dental school clinic who had at least 1 tooth with a probing pocket depth (PD) ≥5 mm at baseline and who subsequently received nonsurgical periodontal treatment. BMI was computed from self-reported weight and height and categorized as obese (≥30 kg/m 2 ), overweight (25–29.9 kg/m 2 ), or healthy (18–24.9 kg/m 2 ). The primary treatment outcome of interest was defined as having no teeth with PD ≥5 mm in a quadrant on follow-up after nonsurgical periodontal therapy. That outcome was considered to represent treatment success in this study. Secondary outcomes included changes in mean PD and clinical attachment loss (CAL). Analyses included 879 treated quadrants among 344 patients (185 males, 159 females; mean age 49 ± 12 y at baseline; mean posttreatment follow-up of 6 ± 2 mo). Clinical outcomes in patients who were overweight or obese were compared to healthy-weight patients using generalized linear models for binary or continuous outcomes, accounting for clustering within patients. Covariates were age, gender, tobacco use, history of diabetes, insurance type, and number of baseline sites ≥5 mm. Results: Obesity was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of successful nonsurgical treatment (odds ratio = 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.25–0.88) than healthy weight. Being overweight was not associated with treatment success. Posttreatment reductions in the percentage of sites with pockets ≥5 mm and CAL ≥5 mm were greater in patients with healthy weight as compared to those either overweight or obese. However, posttreatment changes in mean PD and CAL did not differ among the BMI groups. Conclusions: Obesity adversely modifies the effectiveness of nonsurgical periodontal treatment among dental school clinic patients. Knowledge Transfer Statement: The results of this study may be used by dental providers to better understand and manage periodontal therapy in patients with obesity. Furthermore, patients will be better informed about their therapeutic options and outcome success.

  PublisherDOI

• The effect of antibiotic premedication on postoperative complications following dental extractions

  Journal of Public Health Dentistry · 2024-08-12 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVES: We aimed to evaluate the association between antibiotic prophylaxis and adverse outcomes following tooth extraction within the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing dental extractions in 2015-2019. The primary exposure was antibiotic prophylaxis. The primary outcome was post-extraction complication within 7 days (e.g., alveolar osteitis and surgical site infection); the secondary outcome was subsequent medical care relating to a post-extraction oral complication within 7 days. Multivariable logistic regression models assessed the independent effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on each outcome. RESULTS: Of 385,880 visits with a dental extraction, 122,810 (31.8%) received antibiotic prophylaxis. Overall, 3387 (0.9%) experienced a post-extraction complication and 350 (0.09%) received medical care relating to a post-extraction oral complication within 7 days. In multivariable regression, diabetes was a statistically significant (p = 0.01) effect modifier of the association between antibiotic prophylaxis and post-extraction complication. Among visits for patients without diabetes, antibiotic prophylaxis was significantly associated with an increased odds of post-extraction complication (odds ratio [OR] = 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-1.38), but among visits for patients with diabetes no significant effect was observed (OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 0.92-1.15). Antibiotic prophylaxis was not significantly associated with post-extraction medical care (OR = 1.04; 95% CI: 0.83-1.30). CONCLUSIONS: In this large retrospective cohort, we observed no significant protective effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on post-extraction complications or subsequent medical care utilization in a setting with low complication rates. These data suggest that use of antibiotic prophylaxis in similar settings may need to be re-evaluated to minimize unnecessary antibiotic use.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Risk factors for oral infection and dry socket post‐tooth extraction in medically complex patients in the absence of antibiotic prophylaxis: A case‐control study

  Special Care in Dentistry · 2024-02-06 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: Dry socket and infection are complications of tooth extractions. The objective was to determine risk factors for post-extraction complications in patients without antibiotic prophylaxis stratified by early- and late-complications and complication type (oral infection and dry socket). METHODS: Retrospective, case (with complications)-control (without complications) study of patients (n = 708) who had ≥1 extraction performed at any Veterans Health Administration facility between 2015-2019 and were not prescribed an antibiotic 30 days pre-extraction. RESULTS: Early complication cases (n = 109) were more likely to be female [odds ratio (OR) = 2.06; 95% confidence interval (CI):1.05-4.01], younger (OR = 0.29; 95% CI:0.09-0.94 patients ≥ 80 years old, reference:18-44 years), Native American/Alaska Native (OR = 21.11; 95% CI:2.33-191.41) and have fewer teeth extracted (OR = 0.53 3+ teeth extracted; 95% CI:0.31-0.88, reference:1 tooth extracted). Late complication cases (n = 67) were more likely to have a bipolar diagnosis (OR = 2.98; 95% CI:1.04-8.57), history of implant placement (OR = 8.27; 95% CI:1.63-41.82), and history of past smoking (OR = 2.23; 95% CI:1.28-3.88). CONCLUSION: Predictors for post-extraction complications among patients who did not receive antibiotic prophylaxis were similar to prior work in cohorts who received prophylaxis. Unique factors identified in a medically complex population included being younger, Native American/Alaska Native, having mental health conditions, history of a dental implant, and fewer teeth extracted.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Addressing the discrepancy between efficacy and effectiveness of 1.1% sodium fluoride toothpaste or gel in adults as part of a caries prevention program

  The Journal of the American Dental Association · 2023-02-28 · 1 citations

  editorialSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Factors associated with dental implant loss/complications in the Veterans Health Administration, 2015–2019

  Journal of Public Health Dentistry · 2023-09-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  OBJECTIVES: Twelve percent of the U.S. population has a dental implant. Although rare, implant loss/complications can impact quality of life. This study evaluated indicators for implant loss/complications. METHODS: Veterans with dental implants placed between 2015 and 2019 were included. Implant loss/complications were defined as implant removal or peri-implant defect treatment within 90 days. Binomial logistic regression identified factors associated with implant loss/complications. RESULTS: From 2015 to 2019, 48,811 dental implants were placed in 38,246 Veterans. Implant loss/complications was identified for 202 (0.4%) implants. In adjusted analyses, Veterans aged 50-64 years (OR = 1.92 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.06, 3.46)) and ≥65 (OR = 2.01 (95% CI: 1.14, 3.53)) were more likely to have implant loss/complications. History of oral infection, tooth location, and number of implants placed all significantly increased the odds of loss/complications. CONCLUSION: Dental implant loss/complications are rare outcomes. Older age, location of implant, and the number of implants placed during a visit were significant predictors of loss/complication.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Effectiveness of fluorides in root caries prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs (2009–2018)

  Special Care in Dentistry · 2023-06-15 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  AIMS: The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of topical fluorides in prevention of root caries-related treatment in high caries risk Veterans. METHODS: This retrospective analysis of longitudinal data examined the effectiveness of professionally applied or prescription (Rx) fluoride treatment, in VHA clinics from FY 2009-2018. Professional fluoride treatments included 5% Sodium Fluoride (NaF) varnish (22 600 ppm fluoride), 2% NaF gel/rinse (9050 ppm fluoride), and 1.23% APF gel (12 300 ppm fluoride). The Rx for daily home use was 1.1% NaF paste/gel (5000 ppm fluoride). Outcomes studied were new root caries restorations or extractions and percent of patients with treatment over 1 year. Logistic regressions were adjusted for age, gender, race, ethnicity, chronic medical or psychiatric conditions, number of medication classes, anticholinergic drugs, smoking, baseline root caries treatment, preventive care, and time between first-last restoration in the index year. RESULTS: Root caries at baseline was associated with a high risk for new root caries. Veterans without root caries during the index year who received a fluoride gel/rinse intervention were 32-40% less likely to receive caries-related treatment for root caries during the follow-up period. Once Veterans had root caries, fluorides did not exhibit a positive effect. CONCLUSION: In older adults with high caries risk, early fluoride prevention is key, before root caries requires treatment.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Gretchen Gibson

  United States Department of Veterans Affairs

  102 shared

• Katie J. Suda

  77 shared

• Charlesnika T. Evans

  Northwestern University

  76 shared

• Margaret A. Fitzpatrick

  41 shared

• Carolyn J. Wehler

  Boston University

  36 shared

• Jessina C. McGregor

  Communities In Schools of Orange County

  32 shared

• Judith A. Jones

  University of Detroit Mercy

  31 shared

• Linda Poggensee

  Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital

  28 shared

Labs

• Center for Clinical ResearchPI

Education

• Other, Health Policy and Management

  Harvard University

  2011

• Other

  Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine

  1995