Research Laboratories

The School of Dentistry

We are very proud of our rich heritage at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry. Significant contributions to dental and medical sciences by internationally renowned faculty have originated from this school for more than fifty years. In every way, the School strives to meet its goals of service to the community, supporting research for the future, and educating students and residents in the arts and science embodying dentistry.

The research areas allocated to the Department of Prosthodontics and Biomaterials exist on the sixth floor of the School of Dentistry and on the fifth floor of the connecting Zeigler Building. Facilities for mechanical testing, hardness evaluation, specification testing, surface analysis, sample preparation, wear simulation, chemical research, histological tissue evaluation, and surface coatings are among areas of capability. In addition, clinical research space for in vivo evaluation of restorative materials is also supported. Many other areas, outside of the Department, support student and faculty research including the Oral Biology Laboratories, Center for Caries Research, the Periodontal Research Programs, the Animal Care Facility, and the Scanning Electron Microscopy facility to name only a few.

University of Alabama at Birmingham

The Biomaterials Program exists in an environment with incredible academic diversity. As part of a world class medical center and supported by a full university setting, unique opportunities are available for both academic and research experiences. Please check out the UAB Home Pages for general information about our University. The main web site is packed full of helpful data and is well organized. To get some fast facts about UAB, check out this link for a quick summary of this institution. Also, be sure to look at the University Research Pages for more helpful information.

Research efforts within our Department frequently extend across campus to areas of basic science and engineering. Also, collaborative arrangements with other campuses within the University of Alabama system open the door to more resources at the Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. A very special collaborative relationship has developed between Dental Biomaterials and other related laboratories on the UAB Campus including the Orthopedic Research Laboratories, Biomedical Engineering, and Materials and Mechanical Engineering. Biomaterials students have a rare opportunity at UAB to engage in a diverse academic culture.

Birmingham, Alabama

The metropolitan area of Birmingham and the surrounding areas enjoy a population of nearly 1,000,000 people. With this size, a wide range of activities, cultural and sports events, shopping, and living areas are available for our students. Birmingham has been a city which continues to enjoy new growth and economic prosperity. For more information on the area, please link to a search at www.yahoo.com with the keywords Birmingham and Alabama.