Current research projects:
Prevention of early childhood caries with the Caries Management By Risk Assessment (CAMBRA) protocol: A pilot study to test the application of this intervention in culturally diverse communities in Victoria.
Aims:
- Pilot test all aspects of the CAMBRA 0-5 procedures and protocols in a disadvantaged, Culturally And Linguistically Diverse (CALD) community in Melbourne, and examine changes in knowledge, skills, behaviours and oral health of participants and their parents.
- Pilot test and validate the use of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS II) for use in community-based and home settings with a range of Oral Health Professionals (OHPs; dentists, therapists, hygienists).
- Develop a photobank of deciduous teeth for use in the training and calibration of OHPs for the ICDAS II system.
- Explore the use of the preschool dental program clinical data for population monitoring, research and program evaluation purpose.
| Partners: | Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne |
| | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
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| Funded by: | DHSV (2009) |
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| Status: | Anticipated completion date December 2010. |
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Undergraduate clinical experience at the Integrated Rural Dental Service: benefits to students and the local community
Aims:
- To evaluate the benefits of an undergraduate rural dental rotation
Areas to be investigated are:
- Impact of rural rotation on recruitment of graduate dentists to rural areas.
- Impact on waiting lists and provision of services.
- Attitude of patients regarding provision of services by undergraduate dental students.
- Effectiveness of a rural rotation in terms of undergraduate clinical education (ie exposure to variety of clinical procedures, assessment of student attitude) and awareness of issues specific to rural communities and indigenous populations.
- Barriers to recruitment and retention of dentists to rural areas.
- Feasibility of oral health promotion by undergraduate dental students as part of a rural Rotation.
- Impact of mentorship and social support (evaluation of environmental factors).
| Partners: | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
| | Goulburn Valley Health Shepparton |
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| Funded by: | DHSV (2009) |
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| Status: | Anticipated completion date December 2010. |
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Development of a culturally competent community based child oral health peer education program
Aims:
- The aim of this study is to develop, implement and evaluate a culturally competent oral health peer education program.
| Partners: | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
| | Merri Community Health Services |
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| Funded by: | DHSV (2009) |
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| Status: | Anticipated completion date December 2010. |
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Implementing a Minimal Intervention Dentistry Clinical Protocol for adolescent public dental patients at high risk to dental caries: a pilot study
Aims:
- Determine the impact of implementing a caries-risk assessment tool and MID protocol on the caries risk status of adolescent public dental patients.
- Identify barriers within a community dental health setting to the implementation of an MID clinical protocol for the management of adolescent public dental patients at high risk to dental caries.
- Develop recommendations on the implementation of a caries risk assessment tool and an individualised clinical prevention protocol for adolescents at high risk to dental caries and attending community public dental clinics.
| Partners: | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
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| Funded by: | DHSV (2009) |
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| Status: | Anticipated completion date December 2010. |
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In vitro assessment of MTA set in the presence of interstitial fluid alone, in cases with open apices
Aims:
- Determine if MTA has the capacity to set within a root canal in the presence of an intrinsic moisture source (interstitial fluid).
- Assess the potential for MTA use in the process of apexification procedures, without the need for placement of moist cotton pellets.
| Partners: | Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne |
| | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
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| Funded by: | DHSV (2009) |
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| Status: | Anticipated completion date December 2010. |
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Evaluation of oral health care training for carers in residential aged care facilities
Aims:
- Measure oral hygiene and oral health of nursing home residents.
- Measure the level of knowledge and attitudes of nursing home staff regarding oral hygiene care for residents.
- Assess the effect of an education intervention targeted at carers to improve the oral health and hygiene of nursing home residents.
- Asses the effect of an education intervention on the knowledge and attitudes of nursing home staff regarding oral hygiene care for residents.
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| Partners: | Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne |
| | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
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| Funded by: | DHSV (2009) |
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| Status: | Anticipated completion date December 2010. |
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Socio-demographic profile of users of public oral health care services in Victoria
Aims:
- Investigate the socio-demographic characteristics of users of public oral health care services in Victoria (DHSV and agencies oral health care services).
- Determine whether any differences exist in the profile of users and eligible non-users based on data from Centrelink and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on public oral health care beneficiaries.
| Partners: | Melbourne Dental School, The University of Melbourne |
| | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
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| Funded by: | DHSV (2008-2009) |
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| Status: | Project commenced in July 2008. |
| | Anticipated completion date July 2010. |
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Splash Project: Social and health inequalities arising from environmental changes to drinking water
Aims:
- Develop an understanding of the choices parents make concerning children’s beverage consumption and the importance of fluoridation and perceived water quality in beverage choice
- Determine the impact of drink choice for children and relate this to obesity risk and oral health of children living in rural communities in Victoria who are currently experiencing severe drought and water fluoridation.
| Partners: | Melbourne School of Population Health |
| | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
| | School of Dentistry and Oral Health, La Trobe University |
| | Deakin University |
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| Funded by: | ARC Linkage Grant $1.7 Million (2009-2013) |
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| Status: | Project commenced in February 2009 with planning underway. |
| | Anticipated completion date 2013. |
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VicGeneration
Aims:
- Examine the environmental, behavioural and biological predictors of early childhood caries in children from the Western corridor of Victoria.
| Partners: | Melbourne School of Population Health |
| | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
| | Deakin University |
| | School of Dentistry and Oral Health, Latrobe University |
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| Funded by: | National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) |
| | Dental Health Services Victoria (DHSV) |
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| Status: | Project commenced in July 2008. |
| | Anticipated completion date July 2011. |
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View completed research projects.