Dental Materials – (M.Sc.)

Use of dental materials dates back to 500 BC when ancient Greeks and Romans manufactured gold crowns and bridges. Their use has since expanded which has only been possible due to the imagination of both dental surgeons and materials scientists.

The MSc in Dental Materials is an advanced programme designed to develop a broad knowledge of the principles underlying the mechanical, physical and chemical properties of Dental Materials with special emphasis placed on materials-structure correlations in the context of both clinical and non clinical aspects. It provides the necessary tools and principles of Dental Materials that are currently used in Clinical Dentistry and covers the underlying principles of their functional properties, bioactivity and biocompatibility.

This programme will equip you with an overview of the field of dental materials and the knowledge necessary to participate in research or product development. The first portion of the programme will provide an introduction to materials science focusing on the major classes of materials used in dentistry including polymers, metals, ceramics and composites. First semester topics will include material properties, chemistry, testing, and processing. The second semester covers biocompatibility of dental materials, including protein and cell interactions with materials, immune and inflammatory responses to implanted materials, blood compatibility and toxicity. The programme also covers specific dental materials applications such as drug delivery, and tissue engineering and regulatory affairs.

The MSc in Dental Materials is designed for dental surgeons, materials scientists and engineers who wish to work in the dental support industries and the materials health sector generally. There are significant research elements in this programme including a research project based on the research interests of academic staff working in the field of dental materials.