Dental Materials MSc

Program Overview

This MSc program in Dental Materials aims to develop highly skilled professionals with expertise in dental materials and related fields. Through collaboration with renowned academics and clinicians, students engage in cutting-edge research projects, gaining specialized knowledge and understanding of the use of materials in both clinical and non-clinical applications. The program includes compulsory modules and a research project, preparing graduates for careers in engineering, clinical dentistry, industry, teaching, and PhD applications.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This MSc program aims to graduate highly skilled, motivated, creative, and team-oriented individuals with expertise in dental materials or a related field. The program includes collaboration with distinguished academics and clinicians, allowing students to engage in cutting-edge research projects.

Objectives:

• Gain specialized knowledge of dental materials.
• Obtain a deep understanding of the field of dental materials, including the knowledge needed to conduct research or work in product development.
• Acquire a thorough understanding of the use of materials in both clinical and non-clinical applications.
• Learn about the major classes of materials used in dentistry, including polymers, metals, ceramics, and composites.
• Gain up-to-date information on current dental materials, including their functional properties, bioactivity, biocompatibility, specific uses, drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regulatory affairs.

Outline:

• Structure: The program includes eight compulsory modules and a research project.
It covers chemical, mechanical, surface properties, physical property tests, basic ceramic science, basic polymer science, basic metallurgy, water absorption, and biocompatibility of dental materials.
• Properties of Dental Materials/Processing Methods II: This core module, delivered in the MSc in Dental Technology and Dental Materials, provides in-depth knowledge of the composition and essential properties (physical, chemical, and biological) of clinical dental materials based on metals, ceramics/glasses, and polymers.
The module also examines clinical applications and processing techniques.
• Fundamentals of Research Methods: This module comprises two components: research process (methods and ethics) and basic statistics.
Students learn about research stages, including conducting literature searches, setting research questions, selecting study designs and research methods, drafting research protocols, seeking ethical approval, and medical statistics, including common statistical tests.
• Oral Pathology and the Oral Microbiome: This module covers carcinogenesis, acquisition and metabolism of oral flora, oral commensal and opportunistic pathogens, dental plaque, salivary gland diseases, microbiology and periodontal disease, the mouth as a microbial habitat, oral defense mechanisms, oral infections, infectious agents, and pathology of pre-cancer.
• Dental Hard Tissues and their Microenvironment: This module explores the mechanisms and underlying principles of dental hard tissue loss, including calcium phosphate chemistry, chemical interaction with acids, and the protective role of salivary proteins.
• Minimally Invasive Dentistry: This module delves into the biochemical and physicochemical mechanisms of clinical dental prevention methods, protective mechanisms against hard dental tissue diseases, the progress of hard dental tissue diseases, existing and novel detection methods, and the development of novel biomaterials that mimic the oral environment.
• Biomineralisation and Biomimetics: This module focuses on the mechanisms and underlying principles of biomineralization, particularly in the oral environment, including enamel, dentine, and bone formation.
It explores how this understanding leads to the development of synthetic biomaterials and biomimetic products with applications in Oral Biology. It covers tooth development, mechanisms driving formation, enamel, dentine, bone, periodontal ligament structures, and dental anomalies.
• Research Project: This project constitutes a significant part of the degree and is completed under close supervision.
Examples of recent projects include:
• Development and characterization of novel remineralising dental composites containing bioactive glasses.
• Effect of topical fluoride products on tooth demineralisation.
• Development and characterization of nano-apatite glass ceramics for atraumatic restorative technique.

Assessment:

• Modules: Assessed by a combination of formal examinations and coursework.
• Research Project: Assessed through more self-directed work, with a focus on completing an extended research project.
• Overall: 67% of the final grade is based on modules, and 33% is based on the research project.

Teaching:

• Methods: Teaching involves a blend of lectures, seminars, laboratory practicals, and coursework.
• Faculty: Students work with experts in the field of dentistry and materials, maintaining regular contact with them throughout the program.
• Research Project: Students are based in labs for their research projects, providing opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge to practical work.
• Academic Advising: Students are assigned an Academic Advisor who guides them academically and pastorally throughout their time at Queen Mary.

Careers:

• Opportunities: Completion of the MSc opens doors to a wide range of job opportunities, including:
• Engineering
• Clinical dentistry
• Industries/pharmaceutical companies
• Teaching in dental institutes
• PhD applications
• Outcomes: Graduates are well-qualified and equipped to work in leading industries and research environments.
The field of dental materials development and improvement is expanding, with opportunities for fundamental research in universities and industry.

Other:

• Intercalating BDS Students: Queen Mary students must apply by February 1st and complete an intercalated application in addition to the MSc application.
External students can apply for MSc degrees via the Postgraduate Taught Course online application process.
• The Institute of Dentistry: Ranked 14th in the World for Dentistry (QS World Rankings by Subject 2022) and joint first for research environment (REF 2021).
• Facilities:
• State-of-the-art facilities in the Blizard building and the Institute of Dentistry.
• Dedicated seminar rooms and a student learning center.
• Production laboratory spaces.
• Digital imaging and cone beam CT machines.
• PCs in every operatory.
• Modern facial-scanning equipment.
• Facilities for 72 phantom heads.

Home: £12,650 Overseas: £28,900