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Our research addresses three major research areas within the field of dental biomedicine: (i) bio-regeneration, (ii) bioengineering and (iii) healing and prevention.ÌýÌýÌý

A specific interest of this themeÌýis to regenerate lost or damaged oral hard and soft tissues whenever possible rather than merely repairing defects or replacing missing oral structures by prostheses. If natural biological regeneration is not possible, artificially engineered materials shall be developed which allow an equivalent replacement of the missing oral structures not only in function but also in aesthetics. Furthermore, new techniques and appliances will be developed to stimulate and promote the body’s own growth and regenerative capacities.ÌýÌý

Another research goal is to strengthen the natural healing capacity of the body and particularly the oral tissues but also prevent the onset of oral diseases by using natural ingredients or substances. Therefore, various natural substances with suitable biological effects will be identified and their use as therapeutics will be tested. Biological effects of interest will include, but are not limited to, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects as well as the stimulation of healing of various oral tissues.Ìý

We’re addressing four major research areas: (i) Dental education informatics, (ii) Dental public health informatics, (iii) Clinical and digital dentistry technology and (iv) Dental radiology and scanning technology. Ìý

The focus of dental education informatics will improve the training of oral health professionals by using newest digital technology for a better and self-controlled/monitored learning of the students as well as a more standardised assessment of the clinical activities and the progress of the students.

Dental public health informatics intends to provide big data for evidence-based recommendations and guidelines that will help oral health professionals to prevent and treat oral diseases.

Interventions will evaluate health record data to assess the quality of the care and improve patient safety as well as rethink the required workforce mix to treat all populations in Australia, including rural and remote patients and residents in aged care facilities.

Furthermore, mobile computing application shall be developed and assessed to provide new and modern tools for both areas, dental education and dental public health informatics, e.g. to assess Patient Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs) and Patient Reported Experience Measures (PREMs). Mobile applications will advance teledentistry in the areas of diagnosis, screening and monitoring of treatment outcomes and the healing progress.

Our focus on clinical and digital dentistry technology serves to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of the whole digital workflow approaches, including 3D scanners, 3D-printing and milling and digital 3D treatment planning.

Our dental radiology and scanning technology focus aims to investigate new imaging and imaging analysis techniques for improved and reliable diagnostics and treatment planning.

Our research into dental materials and equipment isÌýcrucial for advancing dental care and focuses on improving the functionality, durability, and aesthetics of dental restorations and prostheses.Ìý

It encompasses a wide range of areas, including the development of new materials, the optimisation of existing ones, and the integration of digital technologies for improved diagnosis, treatment planning, and manufacturing.Ìý

Our projects include:

• the prevention and treatment of oral and dental sequelae of radiation treatment in head and neck cancer therapy,
• investigating the structure-property relationship between aesthetic restorative materials and tooth tissues,
• exploring new approaches in testing optical properties of restorative materials by introducing dynamic cyclic discoloration, and
• testing clinically relevant properties of experimental and commercial dental materials in collaboration with industry partners.

Our population oral health research is aligned with the selected Australian Medical Research and Innovation Priorities of:

• translation and commercialisation,
• preventive and public health research,
• primary care research, and
• priority populations and global health.

Aligned with these priority areas, our two overarching research themes are:

• oral health inequalities research among priority populations, including older people, especially dwelling in residential aged care facilities (RACF), people living in remote/rural communities, people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, and
• developing and evaluating systems research, including learning health systems, modern surveillance systems and a health record data depository.

When we think about dental education research, typically what comes to mind are localised studies that set out to study how effective an educational approach is.Ìý

However, if we broaden it out and examine the purpose of educating dental practitioners to be more than prepared for practice, to actually go on to be part of a professional community who are effective advocates for healthy societies, then the potential for research about the ways we educate our future dental practitioners, and research about what happens to them once they go on to work really becomes clearer.

You’ll notice this idea in the centrality of how social responsibility and health determinants are coming through in the current ADC review of the professional competencies. Dental education research has the potential to influence the ways that practitioner students come to grips with what it means to think and practice in a professional field that really is embedded in the societies we serve.Ìý

The goal of our dental education research program is, therefore, to undertake high quality research that promotes healthy societies through better understanding educational strategies and contexts to support dental and oral health therapy students to become advocates for oral health.

Specifically, this involves exploring the teaching health determinants and person-centred care through the use of narrative and structured reflection; and researching graduate outcomes and employability.

Challenging existing curriculum structures to achieve educational impact is another focus of the dental education research program. For example, researching transition points, the role of workplace learning and peer learning models in professional practitioner programs. Student selection and admission strategies are further areas of interest. The journeys of students who are first in family is of particular interest.Ìý

Developing functional nanomaterials for biomedical applications isÌýa rapidly evolving field with the potential to revolutionise disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.Ìý

Nanomaterials offer unique properties and functionalities that can be tailored for specific biomedical tasks including in dentistry and oral health.

Our researchers are currently undertaking several nanomaterials-related research projects to invesitgate::

• functional nano-cement scaffolds for bone repair,
• smart nanomachinery for drug delivery, and
• nanotherapy for biofilm treatment.

Our HEAL-Oral Health research focuses on addressing the public health burden of oral diseases and conditions. Importantly, we pay key attention to direct research towards minimising the widespread social inequities in oral health resources.

HEAL-Oral Health is a dynamic research group adapting to the needs of the populations and exploiting data and cutting-edge methods for generating and translating research evidence. We are interested in working collaboratively to address both global and local oral health challenges.

While we see dental professionals have a clear role in this, our researchers aim to harness expertise outside of oral health to ensure best solutions are put to policymakers.