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Changes and new beginnings
Professor Alastair J Sloan
In September, I stepped into a new role as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research Collaboration) and away from my position as Head of School. Leaving a role that I’ve cherished deeply and a place that has felt like home, is not easy. I look back on the past four and a half years with immense pride in our collective accomplishments — and they have been collective accomplishments.
Welcome from the Interim Head of School
Associate Professor Rita Hardiman
Melbourne Dental School has been part of my life since the early 2000s, when I began my journey as a PhD and Honours student under the supervision of Professor John Clement, who held the inaugural Chair in Forensic Odontology.
Family and philanthropy: supports for a Yemeni dentist
Dr Mohammed Al-baadani’s research journey has taken him from his homeland in Yemen via China to a Brian and Ann Dooley Early Career Research Fellowship in Melbourne.
When Dr Mohammed Al-baadani finished high school in 2004, he initially dreamed of becoming an engineer. But life in his home country of Yemen was difficult and university was unaffordable.
AI-inspired research wins international recognition
Bree Jones is investigating how 3D images from intraoral scanners and AI technology can work together to spot early signs of dental disease and decay in children.
She is still in the early stages of her research career, but PhD candidate Bree Jones (BSc 2005, BOralHth 2008, MPH 2017, GCDT 2021) has already accumulated significant oral health experience in the clinic, classroom and research arena.
Advancing the dental and oral health
workforce of the future
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Developing a clinical decision tool for dentists
Dr Leanne Teoh’s PhD research has led to the successful commercialisation of a safe medicine management and prescribing tool, MIMS Drugs4dent®.
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Putting the mouth back into the body
A greater focus on prevention and more government-funded dental services are key to improving the oral health of all Australians.
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Implant innovation brings hope for hard-to-treat patients
University of Melbourne researchers have designed a unique implant to help the one in ten patients with missing teeth for whom a traditional dental implant doesn’t work.
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Upskilling to care for the youngest patients
Future paediatric dentists are a core part of the team within the Royal Children’s Hospital’s dental clinic.
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Taking on fast food marketing for better oral health outcomes
Inequity in oral health outcomes is a growing problem, and food plays a major role.
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From Manitoba to Melbourne
Dr Matthew Rykiss left Canada and enrolled at Melbourne Dental School (MDS) to fulfil his childhood ambition to become a dentist.
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A curriculum redesign for today and tomorrow
Melbourne Dental School’s curriculum review and redesign centres around building student skills and competency and providing quality patient care.
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Delivering culturally safe dental care
Eliza Collins is passionate about providing inclusive and comfortable spaces and care for Indigenous communities.
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Under the skin
Scotia Mullin’s PhD pinpoints forensic indicators that help prove strangulation in violent crimes.
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Opening doors in dentistry
As Chief Oral Health Advisor for Dental Health Services Victoria, Adjunct Associate Professor Werner Bischof wants to remove the silos that separate oral health from the general health system.
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Dentistry has changed a lot in my time
As periodontist and President of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, Dr Susan Wise is always learning new skills.
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Mentoring the next generation
Preparing final-year students for the realities of the workplace is just one way in which mentors provide valuable support to current students.
Award winners
Two Melbourne Dental School researchers received prestigious international awards this year.
Bree Jones and Laureate Professor Eric Reynolds were both honoured for their research by the International Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (IADR) in New Orleans, held in March 2024.
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Getting involved and giving back
Volunteering time and skills can lead to some high-flying opportunities. Volunteering is an important part of Dr Tony Collett’s life. A semi-retired orthodontist, every fortnight he teaches pro bono at Melbourne Dental School’s orthodontic clinic.
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Shaping a profession: 50 years of dental therapists
Since the early 1970s, oral therapists have played an increasingly important role in supporting the oral health of Victorians, as a new book and exhibition recognise.
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Connecting passion with purpose for a brighter future
Dr Peter Yeung and Dr Judy Yeung grew up in Hong Kong and both were awarded scholarships to pursue their tertiary education. Peter studied hard with the dream of studying medicine. Though his academic results were exceptional, his family couldn’t financially support him to go to medical school.
More Editions of Dent-AL
Dent-AL is the magazine for alumni of the Melbourne Dental School.
Contributors: Many thanks to Stephanie Anderson, Sarah Marinos, Gina Flaxman, Anthony Vanzella, Claudia Hooper, Lauren Yee, Kade Anderson, Georgia Coon, Meegan Waugh and Tim Sharp.
Note: For space and readability, only degrees conferred by the University of Melbourne are listed beside the names of alumni in this publication.
Cover image: Award-winning early-career researcher Bree Jones and Brian and Ann Dooley Early Career Research Fellowship recipient Dr Mohammed Al-baadani in the completed Brian and Ann Dooley Preclinical Laboratory, Melbourne Dental School.
Cover photography: Peter Casamento.