New directions in interorganizational collaboration in dentistry: the CAMBRA Coalition model

Caries management by risk assessment (CAMBRA) represents a paradigm shift in the management of dental decay. It treats dental caries as an infectious disease that is curable and preventable. The science supporting CAMBRA has been present for quite some time; however, its clinical adoption, until recently, remained slow. This article analyzes the Western CAMBRA Coalition, a special collaboration of diverse groups of independent organizations based in the western region of the United States. This coalition, which has formed an interorganizational collaborative (IOC), has evolved over four years and has led to significant progress in the clinical adoption of CAMBRA. Theoretical perspectives of reasons and the conditions that drive organizations to collaborate will be applied to the CAMBRA model, concluding that IOCs offer great benefits in promoting CAMBRA as well as future innovations in dental treatments.