DR RAVISHANKAR BABU YELAMANCHI
“Hello doctor. Welcome to Interview with Experts with MDSA. Thank you for accepting our invitation for this interview. Before we start off, let us start with a brief introduction on your back-story.”
Hi there, I’m Doctor Ravi, I specialize in Dental Material Sciences. I’ve done my masters degree from Queen Mary University of London way back in 2005. My undergraduation is from India from SRM University which is in Tamil Nadu and ever since, I’ve been working in AIMST University and I found this place amazing, this institution, as well as the kids with whom I’ve been teaching.
“So doctor, you specialized in dental materials and studied at Queen Mary University in London, can you tell us what prompted you to pursue dental materials?”
This opportunity to pursue my masters in Queen Mary came as a complete surprise to me the very first time because my intention was not to pursue the same clinical sciences like everyone were intending to do it, I wanted to choose a degree which is away from the main clinical aspects of Dentistry, and hence I ended up with Dental Material Sciences, which deals with the material aspect of Dentistry more than the clinical aspect of Dentistry.
“So you are currently conducting a research regarding smart materials biopolymers and bioceramics and the usage of herbal extracts in dentistry. Can you share with us, what kind of research is this and what have you found?”
I've been doing research in biopolymers and bioceramics. In fact I'm stressing my research in these 2 areas. For me, I'm more concerned with the mechanical and the physical aspects of polymers, especially the sheer strength, and the bond strength of composites and also polymers. Polymers as you know has various uses in Dentistry, in both, prosthodontics dentistry, and conservative dentistry. I'm trying to, in fact, change the size of the filler particles or the glass particles, in the polymers, to enhance the strength of the materials, so that the fracture resistance of the material improves, so that we can reduce the breakage of dentures, which is very common during any mishap.
“What about the herbal extracts in Dentistry?”
Herbal extracts in Dentistry, we are experimenting on having green tea as a part of mouth rinses because the only mouth rinse we as dentists, pretty much are accustomed to is chlorhexidine. So, we are trying to find an alternative by using green tea extracts and extracts of hibiscus, and even from rose, because rose extracts is known to have anti-bacterial properties, so I'm trying to get more information, and see if I can produce alternatives to chlorhexidines and which are biologically more biocompatible to the human body.
“As you studied dental materials, do you foresee any new materials being developed in the near future?”
Yeah, when I was doing my research in Queen Mary, one of my tutors was Doctor Mangala Patel, she was doing a very good research in alginates. She actually managed to produce a self-cleansing alginate or self-disinfecting alginate material, wherein, you take the alginate powder, you mix it with water, you take an impression and you don’t have to disinfect it. What we basically do here, or for that matter, most of the universities, we disinfect the impression in sodium hypochlorite solution in order to prevent the cross-infection, but you don’t have to, with her alginate material, just take an impression, put it in a cover and send it to the technology lab for fabrication.
“Okay, and based on that, do you think any materials will become obsolete in the near future?”
Obsolete? I'm not exactly sure, but I presume amalgam, may end up becoming an obsolete in the future. Because as every country is becoming a developed country, more and more people, or a larger section of the population, are more inclined towards tooth coloured restoratives, and that would be the biggest disadvantage with amalgam. So I presume amalgam, maybe about 50 years down the lane, will become obsolete.
“And, if one student wants to pursue in dental materials, what is to be expected?”
Yeah, dental materials is a totally research intensive sector of Dentistry. There is a vast area where research is lacking in dental materials aspect and I presume any person who intends to pursue dental materials will be able to exploit this uncharted area of dentistry and maybe produce a new material, or improve the existing material for the benefit of all the dentists.
“And, do you think that the students should increase their knowledge regarding Dental Materials?”
Yeah, dental materials form an integral part of Dentistry. You have to, you cannot let go of dental materials anywhere starting from the 1st year to the final year. The one thing I have noticed, all the dentists know how to use the materials, but they are not concerned with the actual composition or the application of each dental material. Once we actually have a grasp of the knowledge in dealing with dental materials, then I presume it will be a holistic approach towards dentistry.
“And how would one do that besides studying the textbook?”
I would suggest or advise that particular student, to go through each university’s website where they publish the various newer research they have, and had done. So, you will come across the different materials that have been introduced into the market.
“And finally, any words of advice for students or dentists?”
I have one good advice for all the people. Know what you are dealing with, its dental materials, not rocket science. But, at the end of the day, we always work to improve the life of dentists on a whole, contribute our little knowledge to Dentistry, to improve the overall sector in Dentistry.