Oral health research funding for Scottish universities

The universities of Dundee and Glasgow will receive £132,000 to strengthen their collaboration on dental and oral health research.

The two dental schools will focus their research on inequalities in dental health and access to dental services.

They will also study oral cancer and birth defects such as cleft lip and cleft palate.

The Scottish Funding Council will provide the funding for the dental schools.

Academics will work with the Scottish Dental Practice Based Research Network, and dental practitioners, to put their research findings into practice through better dental and oral health care.

Mark Batho, chief executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: "By combining their expertise to investigate the causes and effects of oral health issues, the two universities will be more effective and efficient in their research.

"This research will provide important information that can help to improve the delivery of dental services and public health awareness that will in turn have a positive impact health of the nation."

Professor Mark Hector, dean of dentistry at the University of Dundee, said: "This SFC funding will facilitate a greater level of effective collaboration between experts in dental research and dental public health at the universities of Dundee and Glasgow to accelerate progress towards finding solutions to such problems and implementing them with a beneficial impact on the health of the population of Scotland and beyond."

Prof Hector's feelings were echoed by Professor Jeremy Bagg, head of the dental school at the University of Glasgow, who has been involved in developing the Scottish Oral Health Research Strategy.

He said: "Glasgow and Dundee dental schools have been moving towards closer collaboration on a number of fronts in recent times.

"This funding from SFC provides an excellent opportunity to build a strong and sustainable oral health research portfolio."