Biomaterials and Your Health (edX)

Good health is important to all of us! The development of novel biomaterials and biotechnologies not only help to treat diseases, but they also improve our quality of lives. Do you know what the implication of fibre reinforced composites in the health care industry is? How do nanoneedles and biomineralization help to diagnose and treat diseases? Biomaterials research today is an exciting and intensive multidisciplinary area that encompasses contributions from a wide range of disciplinary areas, from clinical medicine to biology, chemistry, physics, material science, and engineering.

In this 4-Week-4-Module course, Biomaterials and Your Health, you will learn from a dynamic team of 25 dental practitioners and researchers across 10 dental specialties around the world, led by HKU’s Prof Jukka Matinlinna and Dr James K.H. Tsoi. You will learn about the special properties of biomedical materials in oral health care and be introduced to cutting-edge technologies such as nanoneedle in oral cancer and the crucial roles of digital dentistry in contemporary oral health care.
Furthermore, clinicians and scientists in different parts of the world will share with you their innovative research and findings, among them are potential and new biomaterials applications in oral health care.
We cordially invite those of you who wish to make a difference in tomorrow’s dental materials and oral health development to join us in the exciting journey in Biomaterials and Your Health.

What you'll learn
After completing this course, the learner will:
The course Biomaterials and Your Health compiles four modules introducing cutting-edge technologies in dentistry including biomimicry, nanoneedles and its application in oral cancer that support clinical dental diagnostics. Learners will also be introduced to the properties of the most commonly used dental materials such as modern bone cement, glass ionomer cements, fibre reinforced composites and silicon. Furthermore, standardisation and work safety aspects in dentistry will also be discussed.
The learning objectives of the four modules in Biomaterials and Your Health are as follows:

Module 1 – Biomaterials ****
1.1 Biomaterials and biomedical materials

• Define biomaterials and biocompatibility
• Examine what biomaterials and biomedical materials implies

1.2 Biocompatibility and Resin Safety

• Discuss the work safety aspects of resin composites and RMGIC

1.3 Biomineralisation and remineralisation

• Define “biomineralization” and list its applications in dentistry
• Understand how to make a synthetic saliva for research, and why

Module 2 – Modern cements ****
2.1 Modern bone cement and surface treatment

• Briefly introduce bone substitute materials
• List surface treatment methods to enhance Zirconia bonding

2.2 Glass ionomer cements

• Understand what dental restorative materials are / consist of
• Explore the polymeric materials and resin composites in dentistry

2.3 Fibre reinforced composites

• Discuss the nonmetallic implants in a future trend

Module 3 – Nanomaterials and nanotechnologies ****
3.1 Nanomaterials and bio interface

• Discuss and distinguish nanomaterials and biomimetic materials

3.2 Nanoneedles and its application

• Explore the nanoneedle in oral cancer and its application

3.3 Material testing and standards for the new era of dental biomaterials

• Understand the role of third-party quality evaluations for biomaterials
• Discuss the future of biomaterials: will they be ceramic, metallic or polymeric based materials?

Module 4 – Silicon and your life ****
4.1 Prosthesis

• Identity the Prosthetic dentistry and cosmesis

4.2 Biomimicry

• Compare and contrast nanomaterials and biomimetic materials

4.3 Silicon and its application

• List the applications of silicon used in medicine and dentistry
• Learn the nanocomposite coatings for anti-infective urinary catheters