Research Focus

Each year, the ADRF receives more than double the number of applications than it is able to fund. This year, we distributed over $250,000 to support projects and research dedicated to:

Enhancing the dental health of young children and the nutritional well being of older Australians by:

• Developing a deeper understanding of the role of vertical transmission from mother to child in the establishment and maturation of the oral microbiome
• Providing pregnant women with timely advice about the link between their oral health care and the subsequent risk of early childhood dental caries
• Developing patient centred advice for eating well with dentures

Preventing dental caries, dental disease and tooth loss by:

• Enabling early diagnosis of gingivitis and periodontitis using in-depth biomarker exploration
• Developing alternate and more effective methods to control the formation of biofilms utilising mechanisms to disrupt the inter and intraspecies communication of bacteria
• Using a state-of-the-art technique, such as single cell RNA sequencing, to identify novel factors that could be targeted to suppress alveolar bone loss, stimulate bone repair and treat periodontitis
• Early diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer, and improving the quality of life and survival rates of patients, by providing the evidence base to shape curriculum design to improve the preparedness and capability of dental students to make critical diagnosis of suspicious mucosal disorders

Improving restorative dentistry through the development of:

• Optimal surface designs at the implant-soft tissue interface, improving the soft tissue attachment and ultimately promoting a long-term maintenance of implants
• Enhanced longevity of resin-detin and resin-zirconia bonded interfaces by improving adhesive solutions and inhibiting bacteria activities
• Viable, aesthetic, non-metallic alternatives for dental implant fabrication

Eliminating the health risks associated with dentistry:

• Development of improved antibacterial products for the treatment of periodontitis and peri-implantitis to reduce the risk of bacterial infections around teeth and implants potentially contributing to increased glycosylated haemoglobin levels, progression of Alzheimer’s Disease, and heart disease

Decreasing the anxiety associated with dental treatment:

• Working collaboratively with the Deaf community to establish the specific clinical needs of this population group, identify potential areas of improvement, and provide an evidence base for the inclusion of a Deaf Awareness training module to be included in dental studies

Developing new products that will offer cost effective and aesthetically pleasing dental treatment options:

• Using 3D technology to test and optimise the effectiveness of the next generation of bioactive dental implant screws with controlled release of active proteins to advance the therapeutic potential of current dental implants
• Development of a novel glass fibre reinforced polymethylmethacrylate together with fused filament fabrication that can be used effectively for the construction of intraoral devices (e.g. dentures) with enhanced clinical properties