Clinical innovation research
Exploring the latest dental technology and models of dental care
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.
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 bending and microtensile
- Spectrophotometer equipment with an integrating sphere
- Roughness meter
- Glossmeter Stereo and biological microscopes (Nikon)
- Scanning electron microscopy
Publication highlights
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Vichi, A., Corciolani, G., Carrabba, M., Munoz, A., Louca, C. (2023) "Influence of thickness of opaque porcelain and alloy color on the final color of porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations", Materials
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Al-Wrafy, F. A., Alariqi, R., Noman, E.A., Al-Gheeth, A. A., Mutahar, M. A. M. (2023) "Pseudomonas aeruginosa behaviour in polymicrobial communities: the competitive and cooperative interactions conducting to the exacerbation of infections", Microbiological Research
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Vichi, A., Balestra, D., Scotti, N., Louca, C., Paolone, G. (2023) "Translucency of CAD/CAM and printable composite materials for permanent dental restorations", Polymers
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Goracci, C., Di Bello, G., Franchi, L., Louca, C., Juloski, J., Juloski, J., Vichi, A. (2022) "Bracket bonding to all-ceramic materials with universal adhesives", Materials
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Carrabba, M., Vichi, A., Tozzi, G., Louca, C., Ferrari, M. (2020) "Cement opacity and color as influencing factors on the final shade of metal-free ceramic restorations", Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry
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Vichi, A., Zhao, Z., Paolone, G., Scotti, N., Mutahar, M. A. A., Goracci, C., Louca, C. (2022) "=Factory crystallized silicates for monolithic metal-free restorations: a flexural strength and translucency comparison test: A Flexural Strength and Translucency Comparison Test", Materials
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Mutahar, M., Bartlett, D., Carpenter, G., Moazzez, R. (2020) "Proteins from whole mouth saliva mediate greater protection against severe erosive tooth wear than proteins from parotid saliva using an in vitro model", Journal of Dentistry
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 public health
We undertake research relating to promoting health, preventing disease and how to facilitate access to high quality dental care for all.
Interested in a PhD in Dental and Oral Health?
Browse our postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils – at our Dental and Oral Health postgraduate research degrees page.