Clinical innovation

Clinical innovation research

Explore our work in clinical innovation, one of 3 areas of expertise within our Dental and Oral Health research


Advancing dental technology and models of dental care helps us to provide the best, most cost-effective dentistry, meet the increasing demand for dental care, and improve patient outcomes.

Our Dental Materials and Clinical Innovation research focuses on the optical and physical properties of dental materials and how innovation impacts clinical activity. This research explores advanced clinical techniques, efficient models of clinical care, novel clinical materials and diagnostic techniques.  

We regularly collaborate with key industrial partners and our research has been funded by various dental companies. 

Research

Our work covers the following topics:

  • Dental technology
  • Oral disease
  • Properties of dental materials
  • Clinical application and finishing procedures of restorative materials, including  composites, glass ionomers and cements
  • Adhesion to dental tissue substrates for natural tissue and prosthetic materials
  • Prosthetic materials for digital dentistry applications, such as zirconia, lithium (di)silicates, feldspathic ceramics, resins and hybrid materials
  • Digital dentistry materials, procedures, and applications including CAD CAM, CEREC chairside system and 3D Printing

Methods and facilities

We use laboratory equipment and clinical trials to evaluate the physical and clinical properties of dental restorative materials.

We also use various techniques for identifying and diagnosing dental disease, assessing dental devices and exploring new approaches to clinical dentistry.

  • We use equipment including: Specimen preparation equipment including a cutting machine, Buehler Isomet 4000, grinding/polishing machine, and Buehler Ecomet 30Mmicroshear bond strength tester (Ultratester from Ultradent)
  • Universal Testing Machine to assess 3 and 4 point bendingand microtensile
  • Spectrophotometer equipment with an integrating sphere
  • Roughness meter
  • Glossmeter Stereo and biological microscopes (Nikon)
  • Scanning electron microscopy

Publication highlights

Influence of acid concentration and etching time on resin cement adhesion to lithium silica-based glass ceramics

Fabian-Fonzar R, Goracci C, Carrabba M, Louca C, Ferrari M, Vichi A - Accepted for Publication Journal of Adhesive Dentistry 2019

 

Bracket bonding to PMMA-based materials for CAD-CAM temporary restorations: Influence of mechanical treatment and chemical treatment with universal adhesives

Goracci C, Ozcan M, Franchi L, Di Bello G, Louca C, Vichi A. Korean J Orthod. 2019 Nov; 49(6):404-412

 

Comparison of traditional and simplified methods for repairing CAD/CAM feldspathic ceramics

Carrabba M, Vichi A, Louca C, Ferrari M - J Adv Prosthodont 2017; 9:257-264

 

Influence of coloring procedure on flexural resistance of zirconia blocks

Sedda M, Vichi A, Carrabba M, Capperucci A, Louca C, Ferrari M. J Prosthet Dent. 2015 Jul; 114(1):98-102

 

Discover our areas of expertise

Dental education is one of our areas of research expertise in Dental and Oral Health – explore the others below.

Dental education

We're focusing on the development and evaluation of education for the dental team, and working to develop new operative and learning tools for dentistry.
Dental students working on a phantom head
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Dental public health

We undertake research relating to promoting health, preventing disease and how to facilitate access to high quality dental care for all.
Students and public using dental health clinic
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Interested in a PhD in Dental & Oral Health?

Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Dental & Oral Health postgraduate research degrees page.