Research

The Institute of Dentistry carries out active, independent and interdisciplinary research in the fields of genetics, developmental biology, molecular biology, oral pathology and biology, microbiology, clinical practice and epidemiology.

The research topics range from epidemiological and public health issues to basic, applied and clinical research on oral and dental diseases. Most of the postgraduate students who participate in research projects at the Institute and the Biomedicum research laboratory aim to complete the Doctor of Dentistry degree, but some also aim for a Doctor of Medicine or a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Clinical and epidemiological research is conducted at the Institute of Dentistry and the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases in the Surgical Hospital of the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa. Molecular (basic) research is primarily conducted in the Institute’s research laboratory, which is located in the Biomedicum Helsinki building.

The concentration of laboratory research resources in the Biomedicum building has created a wide range of networking opportunities. Government funding for research activities under the Act on Specialised Medical Care and reimbursements of expenditures arising from the training of doctors in health care units (known as ‘EVO’ funding) was increasingly allocated to clinical research, thereby improving the available resources.
The Institute has continued to participate in the research group on biomaterials, which is part of a centre of excellence designated by the Academy of Finland. Several patents have been granted to inventions made in the course of research at the Institute.

Publications, lists of ongoing research projects and contact numbers can be found at Julki and Tuhti.

Poster: The scientific research programmes in Institute of Dentistry (pdf)