Projects
Additive manufacturing and laser micropatterning of functionally graded ceramic materials for dental implant applications KU Leuven
Functionally graded materials (FGMs) are materials of which the composition, microstructure or porosity gradually varies over the volume. This allows tailoring (combinations of) macroscopic properties to meet specific non-homogeneous service requirements that conventional homogeneous materials cannot accomplish. Particularly in dental implant applications, emerging ceramic materials exhibiting a compositional gradient from a tough (short-term ...
Release of Bisphenol A and other endocrine-disruptive compounds from resin-based dental materials KU Leuven
Whereas amalgam was previously the standard dental restorative material for carious or traumatized teeth, dental composites are nowadays routinely used. Their application is even expected to increase since the WHO has started propagating a general phasing down of the use of amalgam. After a widespread clinical use of more than 25 years, dental composites appear an acceptable biological and functional substitute for amalgam. Yet, their ...
Multifunctional smart-releasing mesoporous materials for dental implant applications KU Leuven
With the global increase in dental implant procedures, the number of implant-associated infections caused by bacterial biofilm formation is also on the rise. Unless proper action is taken, these infections can induce peri-implantitis, which can eventually lead to implant failure, burdening both patients and healthcare systems. Although research is progressing in this field, there is no current gold-standard treatment for it. Therefore, this ...
Biocompatibility and cariogenicity of resin-based dental materials. KU Leuven
To restore carious or traumatized teeth, a dentist can choose between two direct (plastic) restorative materials, i.e. amalgam (silver-colored) or composite (tooth-colored). To restrict environmental mercury pollution, the WHO (World Health Organization) currently encourages a global phasingdown of the use of dental amalgam. Tooth tissue lost due to trauma or caries is nowadays preferentially replaced with composite. After a widespread ...
Intra-oral degradation of resin-based dental materials KU Leuven
Resin-based dental materials are used in all disciplines in dentistry, and have many advantages. Beside their esthetic properties (tooth-colored), they can be glued to remaining tooth tissue. This tooth-sparing approach is much less invasive than previous (metal) restorations, and it is generally recognized that this will aid in maintaining teeth as long as possible in good conditions. Unfortunately, resin-based materials undergo degradation ...
Biocompatibility and cariogenicity of composite dental restorative materials. KU Leuven
Biocompatibility and cariogenicity of resin-based dental materials. KU Leuven
Pregnancy- and Childbirth-Related Media Use to Support Maternal Mental Health KU Leuven
This project is situated on the crossroads of women’s health and media psychology. I will combine my expertise as a media scholar with a focus on health communication with the expertise of my supervisor (a professor of midwifery) to study how exposure to pregnancy- and childbirth-related content on the popular social media platform YouTube can play a role in pregnancy-related anxiety (PRA). This project will build on the literature on health ...