Health and Wellbeing

Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measures the functional and psychosocial outcomes of oral disorders. It is a multidimensional construct that includes a subjective evaluation of the individual's oral health, functional well-being, emotional well-being, expectations and satisfaction with care, and sense of self. It has wide-reaching applications in survey and clinical research.

It is now generally accepted in the research community that (OHRQoL) measures are as essential as clinical indicators when assessing the oral health of individuals and populations, making clinical decisions, and evaluating dental interventions, services, and programs. The department of Developmental Sciences performs research related to (OHRQoL). Currently, a survey in form of a questionnaire is being prepared and it aims to evaluate knowledge, attitude and practice of expected mothers about infant oral health and their oral hygiene practices in Beirut, Lebanon in a way to increase the oral health awareness among future mothers. The upcoming research aims to enhance the oral health related quality of life.

Oral rehabilitation is a phrase that is used to encompass several levels of oral therapy. Usually, dentists think of an oral rehabilitation as meaning restoration of all of the teeth in a given mouth, however, when only the defective teeth in any mouth are restored, it could also be defined as an oral rehabilitation. The advent of esthetic dentistry has encouraged the oral rehabilitation concept; as the patients seek dental treatment now for esthetics reasons more than to do oral rehabilitation.

Some of the ongoing research conducted by the departments of Oral Rehabilitation Sciences together with Restorative Sciences deals with Color match of modified high translucency zirconia frameworks, effect of eye fatigue on visual shades selection and effect of human variability on visual shades selection.

Within the near future, research projects will be directed toward evaluating new techniques, trends and materials that aid in oral rehabilitation and in improvements of esthetics as this play an important role in changing a person’s appearance and improving self-esteem.

The science of implantology is highly dynamic. With each improvement and advancement made, implantology has proved to be a boon in disguise to the society and hence its acceptance by the general population has widely increased despite it being a relatively expensive treatment modality. Both the departments of Oral Surgical Sciences and the Oral Rehabilitation Sciences conduct research under this sub-theme including the evaluation of different surface treatment of dental implants on initial stability, evaluating trabecular implant placement with bone expansion in the anterior maxilla, evaluating the use of autograft-platelet rich fibrin mixture around immediately placed dental implants in mandibular molar region, and evaluating the novel socket shield technique in immediate implantology.

On the future research will be towards evaluating new implants designs, grafting materials and techniques that enhance the survival rate of dental implants.

Musculoskeletal disorders pose major oral health problem worldwide. Many causes for musculoskeletal disorders have been recognized including malocclusion, orofacial pain, and temporomandibular joint disorders.

The department of Oral Surgical Sciences together with the department of Oral Rehabilitation Sciences are performing researches within this area concerning the relation between malocclusion and restorations materials and TMJ disorders. In the near future, research will be focused in evaluating the causes of musculoskeletal disorders and effective interventions for their management.