HKU Faculty of Dentistry Bulletin: February 2017
Faculty News
Joint Scientific Symposium- "Current and Future Challenges in Dentistry"
The Joint Scientific Symposium between the Dental Hospital Center for Global Oral Health at the Osaka University and our Faculty of Dentistry was successfully held at the Prince Philip Dental Hospital on 12 January, 2017. This is the first joint symposium between a Japanese university and our faculty.
The daylong symposium featured a distinguished cast of six scholars from Osaka University and our faculty respectively. This one-day symposium offered six presentations and discussions of current and future challenges in dentistry. They included:
- Professor Maurizio Tonetti, Clinical Professor in Periodontology (The University of Hong Kong), "A Talk on Peri-implantitis"
- Professor Mikako Hayashi (Osaka University), "How Best to Strengthen Human Dentin by Riboflavin and UVA Treatments"
- Professor Colman P. McGrath, Clinical Professor in Dental Public Health (The University of Hong Kong), "Developing evidence based approaches for special care dentistry"
- Professor Takashi Yamashiro (Osaka University), Professor and Chairman of the Department of Orthodontics, "MASDO, Novel Surgical Options in Treatment of Cleft Lip and Palate Patients"
- Professor C.F. Zhang, Clinical Professor in Endodontics, and Dr W.L. Dissanayaka, Research Assistant Professor in Biomedical and Tissue Engineering (The University of Hong Kong), "The role of vasculature engineering in dental pulp regeneration"
- Professor Shinya Murakami, Professor and Chairman of Department of Periodontology (Osaka University), "Regroth (FGF-2 medicine), An Emerging Regenerative Approach for Periodontal Regeneration"
For more details about the Joint Scientific Symposium, please visit the Faculty Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1832962470322607/
Award
Glasgow/HKU Early Career Mobility Funds 2016/2017
Dr Fabio Savoldi, PhD student in Applied Oral Sciences, talked to the Faculty of Dentistry Bulletin about his experience in conducting an innovative research in collaboration with the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Glasgow.
As an extension of his PhD project on craniofacial sutures, Dr Savoldi conducted the studies under the supervision of Dr. James K.H. Tsoi and Professor Jukka P. Matinlinna from the Faculty of Dentistry at HKU, and Professor Manuel Salmerón Sánchez from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Glasgow.
The (research) idea consisted of realizing a 2D in-vitro model of a scaffold for craniofacial sutures, with clinical relevance related to treatment of cleft-palate or craniosynostosis. It was thought to be a rather complex and ambitious target to achieve in two months, especially for the multiple coatings techniques and cell culture. Nevertheless, the preliminary results are very encouraging.
'Professor Salmeró Sánchez's laboratory in Glasgow was very international, dynamic, and proactive. Thanks to the meticulous supervision especially from Dr. Cantini and Dr. Alba Pérez, I learned much more than my expectations despite my limited knowledge in cell engineering and scaffold fabrication,' he recalled.
'I wish that these little contributions in such an undiscovered research field may enhance the interest in craniofacial biology and related growth problems. I hope that similar interactions between engineering and dentistry, and between dentofacial orthopaedics and biomaterials may lead to better treatment options of facial deformities. Now, Professor Matinlinna, Dr. Tsoi and I are discussing possible future developments,' he said.
Four awards are available every year for HKU PhD students and junior staff to support one or two months of work at the University of Glasgow. For more information about the Glasgow/HKU Early Career Mobility Funds 2016/2017, please visit: http://www.rss.hku.hk/fund/glasgow-hku-early-career-mobility-funds
Research
Clinical Trials of Silver Diamine Fluoride in Arresting Caries among Children
Tooth decay in preschool children, also known as early childhood caries (ECC), causes pain and infection. A latest survey finds that about half of the Hong Kong 5-year-old children have ECC and most of the ECC are left untreated. The consequences will not only influence children's oral health, but also their general health, such as children's growth, quality of life and their cognitive development. Some clinicians manage ECC by using silver diamine fluoride (SDF) which has been recently approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Dr. Sherry Gao and her co-workers have systemically evaluated the effectiveness of SDF in caries management. The results show that SDF is effective in arresting (hardening) caries, and on average 81% of caries can be successfully arrested after SDF treatment. Apart from staining the arrested lesion black, no significant complication of SDF use among children has been reported. Thus, they conclude that SDF is effective in arresting caries in primary teeth among children.
Source: Gao S.S., Zhao I.S., Hiraishi N., Duangthip D., Mei M.L., Lo E.C.M., Chu C.H., Clinical Trials of Silver Diamine Fluoride in Arresting Caries among Children, http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2380084416661474
Call for participants
Continuing Dental Education (CDE) Seminar in February, 2017
Topic: Messages for the patients and the general public on oral health self-care practices - update on the evidence base
Speaker: Professor ECM Lo, Chair Professor of Dental Public Health, Faculty of Dentistry, HKU
Date: 23 February, 2017
Time: 6:30-8:00pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, The Prince Philip Dental Hospital
Check out the full 2016-17 CDE Seminars Schedule at http://facdent.hku.hk/docs/2016/CDE_Leaflet_Registration201617.pdf
The Faculty offers regular lectures and courses for continuing dental education and continuing professional development. To learn more about CDE courses, please visit: http://facdent.hku.hk/cde