Caries, Hard Tissues and Materials Research
- Dental Physical Sciences
- X-ray Microtomography
Immune and Inflammatory Disease
Oral cancer
Patient and Population Orientated Research
Scholarships

Dental Physical Sciences

The Dental Physical Sciences unit pursues research into Biophysics and Biomaterials

Biomaterials

The group majors on the development of novel materials and techniques for the treatment of chronic dental diseases such as caries and periodontal disease with particular reference to minimally invasive dentistry. This involves the development of materials which will act as carriers for the release of active species. They are also associated with materials which act as vehicles for the release of ionic species by diffusion controlled processes.

The group has expertise in both polymeric and acid-base cement technology and has published widely on the mechanisms of fluoride uptake and release from glass polyalkenoate cements and on the mechanisms of diffusion of water in polymers and its regulation by control of the polymer composition.

The application of both polymers and cements to minimally invasive dentistry is currently under evaluation with support from industry.

Further work on the use of polymers as delivery vehicles from medical applications is also taking place.

Collaborative studies are undertaken with other departments within QMUL and also with departments from other universities including Universities of Brighton, Cambridge, Strathclyde and Manchester Metropolitan University.

There are a number of industrial collaborations including SSL, Makevale Polymers, Schottlanders, Denfotex and Bonyf.

Funding has been obtained from peer review bodies and industry.

Biophysics

Biophysics is the application of the experimental methods of physics to biological problems. It has been responsible for many of the recent major advances in biology, for example understanding how proteins work as enzymes, and how DNA can carry and replicate genetic information.

In our dental biophysics group, we are interested in the development of X-ray methods for the study of microscopic structures, for example X-ray microtomograpy, a form of three dimensional microscopy. We also use X-ray powder diffraction methods to study atomic structures of crystals. We apply these methods to the study of bones and teeth. We have a particular interest in the chemical changes that take place during dental caries and the factors that determine the strength of bone.

We have substantial funding from the Medical Research Council and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. We have strong links with other researchers in the Institute of Dentistry, Department of Materials and the IRC in Biomedical Materials.