Professor Swain studies the ultrastructure of biomaterials including advanced ceramics and explores the effects of inert and biological microstructure on the biomaterial’s clinical properties. As caries remains a major problem, these materials and their properties are vital for developing effective dental restorative treatment. Additional research interests include nano-mechanical properties of teeth, natural calcified tissue, carious lesions in enamel and dentine and bone remodeling and dentine repair. “The aim of my work is to improve healthcare practice in dentistry”, says Professor Swain, “I am interested in examining the clinical correlations of in vitro data, developing better dental restorative materials and techniques and in increasing our understanding of the biology of dental restoration and tooth disease, with the objective that dentists might one day be able to discard the drill”.
