DentalROOTS Issue 1 2010 The Dentistry alumni magazine Turning up the heat on inflammation research – periodontal and pulpal disease at Birmingham Also inside: beating colour blindness; fat offers stem-cell teeth hope; new phantom head lab proves a winner 2 DentalROOTS Fat offers stem cell teeth hope Could fat be the future for a new set of teeth? The School of Dentistry is researching how isolating fat tissue which contains stem cells can be used in dental tissue engineering and regeneration. Welcome More than 16 million fillings are performed within the UK NHS each year and despite Welcome to the first edition ofDentalROOTS – an annual publication intended to keep our alumni many advances in dental materials over the informed on developments in the School of Dentistry over the past year. years, 50% only last for five to ten years leading to significant retreatment and costs. You will be pleased to know that the School of Dentistry maintains a forward-looking approach to However, the use of a person’s stem cells our important and strategic role in dentistry. The School is highly regarded in its research output, could provide a way of engineering new contributing to the health and wellbeing of our patients. Our leadership in education is shown by pulp tissue, and even whole teeth, in the our innovative teaching and learning methods across the spectrum leading to the qualification of future, potentially putting an end to first-rate dentists who are well placed to become leaders in their profession. Most of all they are fillings altogether. caring, competent practitioners and enthusiastic young people. They are very much like you were when you qualified! The Dental Stem Cell Research team at the University comprises Doctors These have been busy times for the School and we are rapidly approaching the second Ben Scheven, Paul Cooper and Richard anniversary of the formation of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences – the School of Shelton and Professor Tony Smith. Dentistry is one of five schools in the College, the others being Cancer Sciences, Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Health and Population Sciences (including the previous School of Health Professor Smith said: ‘Tooth engineering Sciences) and Immunity and Infection. from stem cells offers an exciting and realistic opportunity to improve oral healthcare. We The new structure of the University (five colleges: Arts and Law, Engineering and Physical are perhaps 20 years away from being able Sciences, Life and Environmental Sciences, Medical and Dental Sciences and Social Sciences) to grow whole teeth from stem cells. But was created to put academic endeavour at the heart of the University’s decision making, reduce by targeting dental pulp it poses less of a administrative boundaries and create a less hierarchical structure. challenge than engineering a whole tooth and in the future it might reduce the need The Research Assessment Exercise 2008 saw a big improvement for the School and we are well for root canal treatment.’ placed to continue developing our position as a leading global centre of oral and dental research. Our research strategy has been one of focusing activity on a limited number of theme areas where Stem cells have traditionally been we can demonstrate critical mass and high-quality activity. This saw a leap from predominantly extracted from bone marrow and have nationally rated quality with pockets of international excellence in RAE2001 to 90% internationally also been discovered in milk teeth. Although rated research in RAE2008, accompanied by an increase in 50% of staff returned. Our research milk teeth were thought to have been ideal activity has a high impact in advancing the practice of dentistry and, also, underpins teaching for the patient because there would be no within the School. problems with immune rejection, these types of stem cells can change their characteristics The National Student Survey demonstrates a high level of satisfaction among our students and when they are expanded in number. the School has invested in increasing the number of staff who come in and teach from General Dental Practice. We have built on the success of our e-course team which won the Times Higher More recently, stem cells have been Education ICT Initiative Award with a state-of-the-art refurbishment of our floor eight Clinical Skills found in fat tissue and there is the laboratory, which has internet access at every station together with unparalleled audio-visual possibility of isolating these cells during equipment to facilitate demonstration and student learning. liposuction in large enough numbers to use in dental engineering. I hope that as you read this first edition ofDentalROOTS you will get a feel for the commitment of staff to research and education in the School that will move Dentistry forward in the 21st century and the support from alumni in achieving this. Our successes over the past few years are testament to their excellence and are a just reward for much hard work both within and outwith the normal working day. Front cover image shows the emergence of adult teeth. Panoramic dental X-ray of the mouth of a 12-year-old girl, showing the emergence (eruption) of adult teeth (erupting ones are purple). Professor Philip Lumley Head of School of Dentistry DentalROOTS 3 Beating colour blindness International scientists on Remember back to your pathology classes at Birmingham. Ever remember thinking that sabbatical you couldn’t tell the difference between the colour of the dyes under the microscope? Three leading international scientists from Well, now there is a solution. three continents are currently on sabbatical at the School of Dentistry, demonstrating Professor Gabriel Landini and Mr Giles the School’s excellent global reputation. Perryer have developed a new technique enabling colour blind people to distinguish Dr Yusuke Takahashi, from Osaka between colours on histology slides, University, Japan; Professor Jack Ferracane helping with accuracy of diagnosis. from Oregon Health and Science University, USA, and Dr Stephanie Krifka, University Professor Landini said: ‘About 6–10% of What non-colour blind people see of Regensberg, Germany, have all come men are colour blind, with the majority unable to Birmingham to research tissue and to distinguish some shades of red from those biomaterial interactions. of green. We identified the two basic colours normally seen in microscopy slides (purple The research involves investigating a and pink) and digitally changed them to new generation of dental materials that colours that are easily discriminated by work cooperatively with the tissues that colour blind people, like blue and yellow.’ they are filling; not only ensuring materials are non-toxic, but helping to benefit teeth Mr Perryer said: ‘Some students have been by stimulating repair. at a disadvantage because they simply can’t see the difference in the dyes and so the Professor Ferracane said: ‘Birmingham just discrimination of structures in many seemed the perfect place to do my research. microscopic images is not possible. The There’s so much interesting work happening lecturer says, “The pink part is this and the What colour blind people see in biomaterials and pulp biology here and violet part is that”, but to a colour blind person there is real expertise in the School.’ it’s meaningless and you quickly switch off. The School hopes that the collaboration ‘We’ve tested the new technique and will continue after the researchers have the response from both colour blind and gone back to their universities. non-colour blind students has been fantastic. From an educational viewpoint we feel this is an important breakthrough in addressing equality issues.’ The research has implications for the healthcare profession as a whole and could help to reduce errors in diagnosis in the future. Transformed image with new technique International researchers come to Birmingham pictured with Dr Ben Scheven (third left) Orthodontist knows the score about musical instruments We all know that thumb sucking can lead Ektor, who also works as a specialist registrar more pronounced as the roots are immature to crooked teeth but can playing a musical in orthodontics at Birmingham Dental Hospital, and therefore may be more prone to tooth instrument? Ektor Grammatopoulos, an MPhil said: ‘A lot of my patients ask me if playing a movement,’ he said. Orthodontics student at the School of Dentistry wind or brass instrument has caused their has found out. teeth to become crooked. We can now Ektor, who was supervised by Dr Ashish reassure them that it has no effect – Dhopatkar, Senior Lecturer in Orthodontics, Ektor’s research involved comparing the dental despite popular belief.’ has received awards for his work from the casts of more than 170 professional musicians British Dental Association West Midlands from across the country. The results showed However, he warns that this research Hospital Group, Royal College of Physicians that there were no significant differences in was undertaken in adults. ‘The effects on and Surgeons of Glasgow and the British the position of teeth between players of the front teeth of children who play a wind Orthodontic Society. various types of wind instrument. instrument before the age of eight may be 4 DentalROOTS New ‘phantom head lab’ proves a winner It’s no secret that if you want to attract ‘Each learning unit has its own PC so the cream of the crop you need to offer the that students can access our e-course best facilities, so it’s little wonder that staff and work independently through the session and students at the School are delighted plans at their own pace,’ says Mr Tomson, with the success of the recently refurbished who played a key role in helping to develop eighth floor Clinical Skills Suite. the new-look space.