Research group
Oral Health
We study the usability and suitability of dental instruments, materials and equipment for clinical work. We develop the operations and processes of oral health care.
The Oral Health Research Group is part of significant centres of expertise and innovation in oral health care and additive manufacturing in Turku, which provides our research and development work with excellent capabilities for multidisciplinary and extensive cooperation with actors in the region. Our aim is to further strengthen regional cooperation.
Our research group participates in research and development of dental instruments, appliances and materials. We test and evaluate the usability and clinical suitability of dental instruments, materials and appliances in the final stages of product development. Under our research group operates the Turku Clinical Research Unit for Oral Health testbed.
We also carry out research and development on patient / client self-care guidance and in the field of professional activities and processes. As a part of our various RDI projects, we also do clinical patient research.
Dental prosthetics manufacturing techniques have taken big strides in recent years. The technologies of additive manufacturing bring interesting new opportunities to the industry, the research and development of which we aim to strengthen with our partners.
Pasi Alander, senior lecturer, research group leader
Regional centres of expertise
Our research group is part of two significant and mutually supportive regional centres of expertise.
Turku Innovation centre for Additive Manufacturing (TICAM)
Turku Innovation Centre for Additive Manufacturing (TICAM) is a network of three local higher education institution: Turku UAS, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University.
The network of three universities is a nationally significant expert, developer and educator. The innovation centre covers the most important applications of additive manufacturing in bio science and dentistry, the pharmaceutical industry, and the machine and technology industry.
Oral health competence and education in the region
The Turku Kupittaa campus area is a unique, national competence and training centre for oral health.
All parties involved in the training of oral health experts, such as the institute of dentistry at University of Turku, the dental hygiene and dental technology degree programmes at Turku UAS and dental assistant training at Turku Vocational Institute, operate in the area and its vicinity.
In addition, Turku UAS and the University of Turku have a wide range of special expertise in biomaterials, tissue technology and mechanical engineering that serves and expands oral health expertise. There are also product development in the sector, service companies and providers of private and public sector services in the area.
Our experts
In the oral health research group, our strengths are a multidisciplinary team of experts: dentists and dental hygienist implementing clinical patient care, and dental technicians and biomaterials scientists responsible for the prostheses and materials in the head area.
Our partners
We actively collaborate with the schools and institutes of oral health care and technology in the region as part of regional centres of expertise.
Our partners are amongs others
University of Turku, Institute of Dentistry
University of Turku, Turku Clinical Biomaterials Centre (TCBC)
Publications in English
Alander P., Perea-Lowery L., Vesterinen K., Suominen A., Säilynoja E. & Vallittu P. K. 2020. Layer structure and load-bearing properties of fibre reinforced composite beam used in cantilever fixed dental prostheses. J-STAGE. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33028792/
Lahdenperä, M. 2019. Structural and interfacial adhesion elements of indirect fiber-reinforsed composite. Doctoral thesis. University of Turku. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN 978-951-29-7618-8
LM Instruments Oy & Hyötilä, M. 2019. Easy instrumentation with LM Dual Gracey https://vimeo.com/321960828
Read more
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Case
Mathematical modelling can be used to design dentures
Mathematical modelling has many practical applications. Rabia Altunay, a researcher in the Computational Engineering and Analysis (COMEA) research group…
Education on the field of Oral Health
The Oral Health Research Group is also closely involved in the organisation of our Bachelor’s degree programmes. Turku UAS is the only provider of dental technician education in Finland.
Strong project skills
The Turku University of Applied Sciences Project Office offers support and guidance throughout the life cycle of an RDI project. Our project experts have years of experience and strong expertise in national and international funding programmes. We have more than 200 projects running every year, and our RDI activities have received more than €10 million in external funding.