University of Otago - Faculty of Dentistry

A Message from the Dean

Tino harikoa te ngākau kua whai wāhi ahau ki te whakamōhio atu ki a koutou ngā tikanga o te Kura Oranga Niho. He hōhipera whakaako tēnei kura, mō te hāpori o Ōtepoti me ngā hāpori huri noa i te takiwā o Ōtākou.

I am extremely pleased to have this opportunity to introduce you to the School of Dentistry. The School serves as a teaching hospital for the people of Dunedin and the surrounding community.

The School has always placed strong emphasis on clinical and teaching excellence and on basic and clinical research and offers opportunities and facilities for training and research in a variety of disciplines relevant to the biological, material, clinical and epidemiological sciences. In addition to the undergraduate courses, the Faculty offers postgraduate courses within each of its three departments: Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Oral Rehabilitation, and Oral Sciences, including all the clinical specialities.

Research is one of the normal activities of academic staff and postgraduate students. Current activities cover a broad spectrum including, dental public health, general dental practice, paediatric dentistry, periodontology, guided tissue regeneration, local delivery of therapeutic agents, orthodontics, experimental craniofacial growth, influence of periosteum and muscle activity on bone growth; normal and abnormal dental enamel, molecular aspects of preneoplasia and neoplasia, the role of calcium in cellular metabolism, salivary gland dysfunction, oral cancers, oral and maxillofacial surgery, dental alveolar and implant surgery; oral microbiology and molecular biology, the mechanical properties of dental hard tissues, biocompatability of dental materials, exodontia, prosthodontics, removable prosthodontics, archaeological and palaeontological investigations of dental remains.

Specialist clinical support is provided for the Otago population and the specialists in the school provide support to the dental profession throughout the country through advice, continuing education courses, and serving on national bodies. The School is justly proud of its international reputation for research, and clinical and academic excellence from a team of staff who are at the leading edge of their profession.

The Faculty is also fortunate to be able to attract many internationally renowned scholars, who either choose to spend part of their leave period undertaking research at the School, or who are invited under the auspices of the Faculty's Professional Development Committee. The School of Dentistry offers a friendly environment for postgraduate training and education. I hope you will join our stimulating academic community and I look forward to welcoming you.