Research occupies a prominent place among the priorities and accomplishments of the graduate students and faculty. Extensive laboratory facilities are available in each department of the School of Dentistry and in the basic science departments. The School's Center for Dental Research includes a dental biomaterials core, a biostatistical core, a clinical research core, and a biocompatibility and toxicology core. The University provides an exemplary animal care facility for research projects involving laboratory animals, where dental faculty and advanced education students are major participants.
Graduate students research
Each advanced education student is involved in one or more research projects. A sampling of such topics is listed below from projects completed by graduate students enrolled in recent years.
Abstracts of these or other projects can be requested from the program director, Dr. Lozada.
- Experimental Peri-Implant Tissue Breakdown in Rhesus Monkeys
Oliver Hanisch, DMD, MS, PhD; Aachen, Germany - The Experimental Verification of the Efficacy of Finite Element Modelling to Dental Implant Systems
Thomas D Baiamonte, DMD, MS; Albuquerque, New Mexico - Effects of Thermocycling, Load-Cycling, and Blood Contamination on Resins Used to Cement Implant Abutments
Daniel J. Garey, DDS, MS - A Clinical Study Comparing Two Methods of Achieving a Clean Surgical Site Prior to Dental Implant Placement
In-Chul Kim, DDS, MS; Seoul, Korea - Guided Bone Regeneration of Supra-Alveolar Peri-Implant Defects in Dogs
Nicholas Caplanis, DMD, MS - Ability of Cylindrical Root Form Implants to Withstand Controlled Lateral Forces
Silvio Emanuelli, DDS, MS; San Remo, Italy - A Histopathological Study of the Nature of the Epithelium Surrounding Implant Posts
Robert A. James, DDS, MS; Loma Linda, California (Deceased)
Faculty research
"Comparison Between Two Versus Four Brånemark Implants to Support a Fixed Partial Denture in Monkeys"
Investigators: O. Hanisch, DMD, MS, N. Caplanis, DMD, MS, J. Lozada, DDS, D. Tatakis, DDS, PhD, K. Bohsali, DDS, H. Spiekerman, MD, DDS, PhD
This project seeks to study whether the use of a greater number of implants to support a fixed prosthesis provides a greater clinical advantage than the use of a fewer number. Previous studies are cited that have addressed some aspects of this problem; conclusions have been drawn on both sides of this question from some of these studies. The investigators believe that it "would be of great clinical interest to evaluate in a controlled, randomized, experimental trail the difference in survival of immediately loaded implants placed in the mandible versus the maxilla."
Current student research
Some examples of research projects currently in progress, involving faculty and graduate students of the Center for Prosthodontics and Implant Dentistry include:
- Long-term study on Immediately-loaded Implants
- Long-term study on Sub-antral Augmentation
- Retrospective Evaluation of Hydroxy-apatite Coated Root-form Implants
- Clinical Evaluation of Cad/Cam Abutments in Implant Dentistry