Research

Biomaterials and nano-dentistry

Translating biomaterials and nanotechnology research to clinical dentistry

The research program at the Biomaterials and Nano-Dentistry research group at UWA is multidisciplinary in nature. Our main aim is to translate biomaterials and nanotechnology research to clinical dentistry for providing better dental treatment to patients. The program’s current research focuses on drug-delivery to dental tissues through nano-carriers for preventive & restorative therapies; bioengineering of dental hard tissues, the interaction of high intensity focused ultrasound with tooth structure; and 3D bio-printing for dental tissues repair.

Research program objectives:
  • Establishing a novel platform for drug delivery to dentin-pulp complex using drug-loaded nano-carriers for potential dental restorative and preventive applications.
  • Bioengineering of dental hard tissues for improving the biodegradation properties.
  • Optimising the bonding of restorative materials to tooth structure and formulation of future dental adhesive systems.
  • Bio-remineralisation of dentin and resin/dentin hybrid layer for enhancing the clinical durability of resin-dentin bonded restorations.

  • Fabrication of 3D scaffolds through Electro-hydrodynamic jet (e-jet) printing for dental tissues repair.
  • The interaction between dental hard tissue and the high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) as an alternative tool for dental tissues manipulation.
  • Enhancing the performance of tooth-coloured restorative materials through chemical modifications.
  • Investigating the potential of human dentin as natural scaffold for osteogenic and odontogenic stem cell differentiation.

     Research Program Lead: Dr Amr Fawzy

Projects

The current and proposed research program at the Biomaterials and Nano-Dentistry research group can be categorised under four main areas:

Contact Program Leader Dr Amr Fawzy