Improving Oral Health Outcomes for Rural People
Our researchers are co-partnering with communities to translate healthcare findings into practice.
Our research improves oral health care for rural people by supporting policy change and improvement in service access, treatment, prevention and promotion to reduce disparities in oral public health measures for rural communities.
Oral Public Health Lead Contact: Dr Virginia Dickson-Swift
Centre staff projects
Research team:
- Professor Hanny Calache
- Dr Rachel Martin (North Richmond Community Health)
- Dr Bradley Christian
- Associate Professor Kevin McNamara (Deakin University)
- Carolyn Loton (Junto’s Marketing)
Dry mouth is a debilitating condition affecting quality of life.
This study will enhance the capacity of pharmacists to manage, support and assist clients affected by dry mouth. The team is co-producing and testing educational material that will enable pharmacists to discuss dry mouth and its management with consumers. The team is also developing a range of resources for consumers aimed at educating them about dry mouth and management of this condition. This health promotion approach will be trialled and evaluated in five metropolitan and five rural community pharmacies.
This research is supported by the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future.
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This new research project focuses on the role of local government municipal public health planning in oral health in rural Victoria.
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This is a new research project on water flouridation in rural Victoria.
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This research comparing rural and metropolitan oral health in adult Australians over time is undertaken in collaboration with the Australian Research Centre in Population Oral Health.
Research team:
- Dr. Masood Mohd
- Dr Virginia Dickson-Swift
- Professor Amanda Kenny,
- Professor Mark Gussy (VVMCRHR, University of Lincoln),
- Dr Ron Knevel
- Brad Christian
- Professor Len Crocombe
This is a scoping study of oral health and rurality.
Research team:
- Shahrukh Khan,
- Professor Leonard Crocombe,
- Dr Virginia Dickson-Swift
- Lucy O’Malley (University of Manchester),
- Silvana Bettiol (University of Tasmania),
- Craig Smith (University of Manchester)
This reseearch surveys the perspectives of stroke survivors, their carers, and allied health professionals on oral health care of stroke survivors
Research Team:
- Dr Mohd Masood,
- Professor Mark Gussy (VVMCRHR, University of Lincoln),
- Professor Tim Newton (King’s College London, United Kingdom),
- Professor Satu Lahti (University of Turku, Finland),
- Professor Jocelyn Fine (University of McGill University, Canada),
- Professor Om Prakash Kharbanda (AIIMS, India)
This study examines the barriers and enablers of doing research among dental academics in India.
Research team:
- Rantavuori Kari (University of Turku, Finland),
- Silvola Anna-Sofia (University of Turku, Finland),
- Suominen Auli (University of Turku, Finland),
- Dr Masood Mohd
- Suominen Liisa (University of Turku, Finland),
- Lahti Satu (University of Turku, Finland)
- Aziz Rehman (Federation University)
This research examines the Malocclusion traits and oral health-related quality of life in Finnish national population.
Higher degree research student projects
Research team:
- Dr. Dalya Azard (PhD candidate)
Supervision team:
This is a pilot study investigating child oral health knowledge and professional practice of General Practitioners.
Research team:
- Sudheer Babu Balla (PhD candidate)
Supervision team:
Sudheer is exploring culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) oral needs of migrant children in the City of Bendigo.
Research team:
- Anton Sklavos (PhD candidate)
Supervision team:
Orofacial Infection of Odontogenic Origin Requiring Surgical Management in a Metropolitan and Regional Tertiary Hospital in Victoria: Comparison of Service Provision and Healthcare Cost
Research team:
- Dr Rahila Christian (PhD candidate)
Supervision team:
- Professor Hanny Calache,
- Professor Mark Gussy (VVMCRHR, University of Lincoln),
- Professor Teresa Iacono (Living with Disability Research Centre)
This research addresses the reasons why children with intellectual or developmental disability do not enjoy equity in access to dental services.
Research team:
- Aurlene Jayadhas (PhD Candidate)
Supervision team:
This research project is looking at developing a behaviour change intervention to improve oral health among older people residing in residential aged care facilities in rural Victoria using a framework called the Behaviour Change Wheel. It will be used to develop a health promotion intervention for improving oral health among older people in RACFs in rural Victoria.
Research team:
- Bandana Khadka (PhD candidate)
Supervision Team:
This research will gather qualitative data using interviews and questionnaires from people with disabilities. It will also employ systematic reviews to identify the current evidence, effectiveness of legislation, practices and approaches utilised to address their oral health needs. The study will provide recommendations to address any identified gaps in policy and practice. This will, in turn, help improve oral health and overall wellbeing of people living with disabilities in Australia.
Research team:
- Aula Jasim (Honours student)
Supervision team:
The Association Between Betel-Quid Use and Oral Potentially Malignant and Malignant Disorders in Southeast Asian and Pacific Regions A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Research team:
- Shanika Shorey (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Oral Cancer/OPMD Risk Classification Model; Risk Classification of various Parameters Assist in Early detection of Oral Cancer/ Oral Pre-Malignant Disorders (OPMD).
Research team:
- Bhavika Jindal (Honours student)
Supervision team:
How does rural Australian general dental practitioners’ perception and knowledge of oral cancer screening lead to early detection? ; A Pilot project.
Research team:
- Bhoomija Chauhan (Honours student)
Supervision team:
The effectiveness of educational intervention of oral cancer early screening for general dental practitioners.
Research team:
- Amy Elkomos (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Readability, Quality and Accessibility of Australian Oral Cancer Websites.
Research team:
- JaiRose Basu (Honours student)
Supervision team:
The Effect of Geographic Access on Waiting times for Dental Care: A Longitudinal Analysis of Queensland's Public Dental Service System from 2016 to 2023.
Research team:
- Cristian Deocampo (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Attitudes and perceptions of Australian dental practitioners towards saliva testing as part of the caries risk assessment.
Research team:
- Erica Stelfox (Honours candidate)
Supervision team:
A Qualitative Evaluation of Rural Victorian Community Pharmacist’s Provision of Oral Hygiene Instructions and Ways to Expand Their Role in Oral Health Promotion.
Research team:
- Dilara Bektash (Honours student)
- Juliana Ding (Honours student)
- Kieran Doddi (Honours student)
- Ka Ying Fan (Honours student)
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Research team:
- Youngi Hong (Honours student)
- Hijira Jabbar (Honours student)
- Mariam Malak (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Improving oral hygiene practices for the older population and especially individuals living in the aged care facilities within the catchment of West Wimmera Health Service.
Research team:
- Tarini Mitra (Honours student)
- Thien-Phung Ngo (Honours student)
- Annie Pan (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Advocacy for Water fluoridation in Heathcote.
Research team:
- Ling Fei Shi (Honours student)
- Sophie Stuart Smith (Honours student)
- Jennifer Thong (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Access to dental and oral health services in Heathcote.
Research team:
- Emily Witney (Honours student)
- Rainbow Yang (Honours student)
- Ming Chih Yu (Honours student)
- Zhan Yu Zhang (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Recruitment of oral health professionals to East Grampians region.
Research team:
- Bakir Assafi (Honours student)
- Akash Babu (Honours student)
- Lawrence Pawar (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Junior sports and mouth guards – raising awareness through development of resources and designing education programs.
Research team:
- Daniel Hughes (Honours student)
- Julianne Lee (Honours student)
- Kye The Oo (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Developing resources to better inform oral health education in pharmacies.
Research team:
- Chloe Chandraraj (Honours student)
- Pinar Geyik (Honours student)
- Mia Ward (Honours student)
Supervision team:
The Bendigo City and the drinking fountain roll out. Communication and Marketing Strategy.
Research team:
- William Dai (Honours student)
- John Laparidis (Honours student)
- Kevin Le (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Oral health implications in priority groups.
Research team:
- Stanley Ang (Honours student)
- Erze Cheng (Honours student)
- Eddie Suon (Honors student)
- David Trinh (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Improving oral health for children and young people in out of home care.
Research team:
- Joelynn Do (Honours student)
- Nicole Madamombe (Honours student)
- Khanh Nguyen (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Oral health for people with disabilities.
Research team:
- Matthew Harvey (Honours student)
- Aws Sahib (Honours student)
- Gabrielle Sargant (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Integrating oral health into interprofessional community medical practice.
Researcher:
- Vincent Tran (Master student)
Supervision team:
Effect of substance use on maxillofacial trauma in the population of Victoria.
Researcher :
- Matthew Woliansky (Masters student)
Supervision team:
Effectiveness of Electronic Screening and Brief Intervention for Alcohol-Related Maxillofacial Trauma: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Researcher:
- Shahabeddin Yahyaeimanigh (Masters student)
Supervision team:
Effects of Parental-Related Conditions on Dental Anxiety in Children and Psychotherapeutic Management of Dental Anxiety Using Media.
Researcher:
- Sharon Jose (Masters student)
Supervision team:
Exploring the risk factors: knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of Indian parents living in Australia on early childhood caries among their children.
Researcher:
- Sudheer Babu Balla (PhD candidate)
Supervision team:
An integrated codesign approach targeting parents from the Karen refugee community to improve their children's oral health and well-being.
Researcher:
- Nesa Aurlene Jayadhas (PhD candidate)
Supervision team:
- Associate Professor Santosh Tadakamadla
- Dr Melanie Bish
Developing a behaviour change intervention to improve oral health among older people residing in residential aged care facilities in rural Victoria.
Researcher:
- Bandana Khadka (PhD candidate)
Supervision team:
Developing a behaviour change intervention to improve oral health among older people residing in residential aged care facilities in rural Victoria.
Researcher:
Joseph Sidholm (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Mediterranean diet and risk of head and neck cancer - systematic review.
Researcher:
Lauren Markham (Honours student)
Supervision team:
The efficacy of water flossers compared to string floss in plaque reduction: A systematic review.
Researcher:
Erica Stelfox (Honours student)
Supervision team:
Associate Professor Santosh Tadakamadla
This project investigates oral-health related advice currently provided by rural Victorian pharmacists located in towns without dentists. It will also explore how to best expand the role of community pharmacists in the provision of oral health promotion and preventative oral healthcare including any rural-specific barriers to overcome.