Dental Practice Education Research Unit

Dissecting the relationship between periodontal (gum) disease and diabetes, including the correlation links between diagnosis and likelihood of exacerbation with high blood sugar levels.

Explaining how patients looking after teeth and gums during pregnancy can directly affect your baby’s health. 

Using your dental health professional as the first line of defence in the early detection and monitoring of oral cancers to prevent fatal disease.

Addressing a widely-spread issue reported amongst patients which can impact access to care, and clarifying the diagnosis pathway. 

Providing guidelines for integrating people with disabilities into general dental practice with consideration to the needs of this cohort.

Exploring the relationship between cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease. 

Investigating the impact on the oral health management of patients with dementia. 

Supporting the importance of caries risk (tooth decay) assessment in children, one of the most common chronic diseases in young people.

Investigating the reasons for dental anxiety and its clinical consequences, as well as important assessment tools and management strategies to support patients with this condition. 

Exploring the impact of breastfeeding on infant oral health outcomes, including how breast milk may play a protective role against the development of malocclusions and dental caries. 

Describing the groups of periodontal diseases that impact patients who are overweight or obese, and exploring the mechanisms that connect these two chronic conditions.

Articulating the impacts of high sugar intake on oral health and other health problems, the classifications of sugars, and how to help patients avoid preventable decay. 

How to use preventively orientated, evidence-based caries risk management in diverse cohorts to avoid the gradual erosion and loss of teeth.

Analysing the current evidence for the management of impacted third molars, including risks associated with surgery and the importance of a shared decision-making process between dental practitioner and patient. 

Focusing on the oral health status, particularly dental caries and periodontal disease experience, for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori peoples, to support improving oral health across the lifespan and improve outcomes.

Discussing the diagnosis of root caries, risk indicators, prevention and treatment for this common yet preventable issue. 

Sharing information on a prevalent condition including the burden of TDIs, type of teeth and injuries involved, management and prevention strategies. 

Exploring the connection between Human papillomavirus virus (HPV) and oropharyngeal carcinoma (OPC), explaining symptoms, risk factors, preventive measures, diagnosis, treatment and management. 

Discussing the impact of nutrition on key dental issues including caries, periodontal disease, oral cancer and other health outcomes including oral mucosal disease and conditions, as well as how to prevent and control these issues through quality nutrition.

Providing information on various oral complications impacting medically compromised patients, including those who nil by mouth (NMB), using feeding tubes, undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and those in palliative care, and how to best support these cohorts. 

Explaining the importance of infection control measures in dental practice to avoid the spread of pathogenic microorganisms, including between dental practitioner and staff to patients and vice versa.

Interrogating the oral manifestations of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and how dental practitioners and patients can work together to prevent dental diseases in affected patients.  

Explaining the importance of fluoride in preventing and reducing tooth decay, as well as providing a safety overview of the use of fluoride in oral health to dispel myths and support effective communications on this valuable mineral on preventing dental caries across the globe. 

Demonstrating the latest evidence-based status of interdental cleaning aids, appropriate tools in the market, and informed decision-making to support patient choice and effective cleaning.

Outlining the epidemiology, classification, clinical features, diagnosis and management of bruxism – the repetitive clenching or grinding of teeth.

Discussing the clinical features of common respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)’s clinical presentation in the oral cavity, as well as their relationship, management and treatment of relevant oral health issues.