We are delighted for BDS4 student Chelsea Cook who has been accepted for publication in the Pediatric Dental Journal.
Last year Chelsea took part in the University of Aberdeen's Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship Programme where she carried out a literature review on molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH). Chelsea's manuscript "Is molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) a new disease of the 21st century?" has now been accepted for publication in the Pediatric Dental Journal.
Chelsea spoke below about the project as well as her experiences in participating in the Undergraduate Summer Research Scholarship scheme.
"Since the end of the last century, there has been a vast decline in rates of childhood caries. However, a different paediatric dental issue - molar incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) - seems to be increasing in prevalence. This problem involves specific adult teeth erupting without enough mineral in the enamel of the tooth. It can result in increased sensitivity, pain and an increased likelihood of dental decay and eventually tooth loss. The cause of MIH is relatively unclear and has been suggested as a number of different factors. There is very little research exploring whether MIH existed before the 21st century. This literature review combined some of the published research to help establish whether MIH is linked to factors in our modern day lifestyles.
I have learned a huge amount participating in a summer research project. Not only did I get the chance to increase my understanding of a current dental issue but I also got the chance to build on certain skills such as, database searching, presenting, academic writing and submitting a manuscript to a scientific journal. Carrying out a summer research project is always going to be beneficial to our learning and development as clinicians, as we are led by research in the way we diagnose and treat dental disease. I think the most important point is to pick a topic which interests you, and then the summer research project never seems like work. I’d like to thank Dr Lopez, whose excellent supervision made the entire process very enjoyable."
- Chelsea Cook, BDS4, April 2022
To find out more about previous projects undertaken as part of the Undergraduate Research Scholarship Programme please visit: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/smmsn/acat/undergraduate/summer-scholarship-sympsosium-1005.php