The principal aim of this project is to examine posture and muscle activity when using an ergonomically designed saddle seat compared with a conventional seat during common dental procedures with the dental students and practising dentists. The study was conducted with practisin…
Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the 15th most common cancer worldwide but has poor five year survival (50%). Late stage presentation and limitations of early diagnostic techniques are persistent clinical problems. Sixty percent of patients present with advance…
A significant number of young children in the United Kingdom experience dental caries, often resulting in a diminished quality of life. Brushing children’s teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste significantly reduces their risk of caries, but not all parents adhere to these …
Background: Good oral health is essential for eating, smiling and talking, yet dental decay (caries) is amongst one of the most common diseases worldwide, with untreated caries in deciduous teeth affecting 9% of the child population at a global level. In high income countries, d…
Oral keratinocyte behaviour were analysed in two and three dimensional cultures of an immortalised human H400 cellline and primary rat keratinocytes (PRKs) using a novel method of quantitative microscopy, RT-PCR data and immunohistochemistry profiles. Monolayer cultures were est…
Dental pulp contains mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) similar to those present within bone marrow. Several factors are postulated to contribute to the signalling involved in regulating these cells. This project aimed to investigate the role of pulp and dentine extracellular matrix …
Title A randomised controlled crossover trial to assess the effectiveness of, preference for and length of structured reply letters when communicating with referring practitioners Statement “I have made this letter longer than usual as I lack the time to make it short” (Blasie P…
Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a growth factor promoting survival, proliferation and differentiation of neural crest cells. Neural crest cells play an important role within mesenchymal tissues during dental pulp and calvarial bone development. GDNF also ha…
Objectives: To assess the effects of orthodontic treatment for Class III incisors in children and adolescents. Design: A Cochrane systematic review. Method: The following databases were searched up to 7th January 2013: Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central…
This research investigates the interplay between strategy, innovation, oral health inequalities, and the Primary Care Organisation (PCO). There has been little previous consideration of the interplay between these four factors, which this research addresses through a mixed-metho…
The effect of post-brushing mouthwashes on salivary fluoride retention. Objective: To assess the effect of post-brushing mouthwashes on salivary fluoride retention. Methods: This was a three phase cross over study with thirty participants. Salivary F levels were measured before …
The successful outcome from implant procedure relies heavily on the integration between the implant and the surrounding bone tissues. Besides, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), which is linked with delay of osseointegration and reduction of bone-implant interface, further comprom…
Conscious Sedation is a pharmacological intervention which enables anxious patients to have dental treatment. Although there is a strong research tradition into the efficacy of sedation modalities, there is a weak evidence base for the experience of sedation by those who use it.…
Aim: To evaluate the effect of various environmental (clinical) conditions on the physical and chemical characteristics of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate (MTA). Methodology: Initially preparation of specimens was standardised. Moreover, a novel mixing technique, trituration of encap…
The NF-κB family of transcription factors are essential for different stages of murine haemopoiesis as supported by studies on single or double knockout mice. The function of NF-κB1 and NF-κB2 in haemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) has never been described before. In mice, the bone m…
The overall aim of this thesis was to examine the kinetics of proton-promoted dissolution of the dental hard tissue enamel as a non-bacterial process and the evaluation of inhibitors with the intent of minimising the dissolution process and effectively protecting the surface. A …
Facial injury is less common in childhood than adulthood. However, it is still a significant cause of morbidity and presentation in hospital emergency departments. The pattern, time trends, and key socio-demographic determinants of facial injuries in Scottish adults admitted to …
Aim: To evaluate the longitudinal relationship of anterior tooth alignment and intra-oral plaque accumulation during orthodontic fixed appliance treatment, using novel intra-oral imaging techniques. Design: Prospective observational cohort study. Setting: Countess of Chester Hos…
Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the aetiologic agent of Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), a malignancy characterised by spindle-shaped tumour cells with an endothelial phenotype that line primitive vascular structures. This thesis examines the concept that KSHV infection …