Dentistry Electronic Theses and Dissertations (UMKC)
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The items in this collection are the theses and dissertations written by students of the School of Dentistry. Some items may be viewed only by members of the University of Missouri System and/or University of Missouri-Kansas City. Click on one of the browse buttons above for a complete listing of the works.
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Item Assessment of predoctoral orthodontic education amongst U.S. dental schools : a pilot study(2025) Lung, Jacky; Scott, JoAnna M.; Walker, Mary P.This study examined which dental school factors, such as the presence of an orthodontic residency, influence the contents of predoctoral orthodontic curricula. A 19-question survey, approved by the UMKC IRB, was distributed to the Associate Deans of Academic Affairs of 67 accredited dental schools in the contiguous United States via email. The survey was divided into four domains: dental school characteristics, predoctoral orthodontic didactic curriculum, predoctoral orthodontic clinical curriculum, and opinions on predoctoral orthodontic curriculum. To determine associations between predoctoral orthodontic curriculum and all variables, Fisher’s Exact tests were used. Of the 67 dental schools in which the survey was sent to, 19 participated for a 28% response rate. Seventy-four percent of respondents were state schools and 26% were private schools. In addition, 79% of responding schools reported having an orthodontic residency at their institution whereas 21% did not. Survey data revealed a statistically significant association between institutions with higher didactic hours and presence of a predoctoral orthodontic lab course. Institutions with a predoctoral orthodontic lab course were more likely to have wire bending, interpretation of lateral cephalometric radiographs, and fabrication of orthodontic appliances as exercises. Overall, the results of this study suggest that certain dental school characteristics, such as having more didactic hours, are significantly associated with more extensive and hands-on predoctoral orthodontic curricula. Schools with lab courses tend to offer more practical exercises such as wire bending and radiograph interpretation, indicating that curriculum depth is influenced by institutional factors.Item An evaluation of radiographic imaging currently used for treatment planning by practicing orthodontists : a pilot study(2025) Napper, Farng Dana; Scott, JoAnna M.; Walker, Mary P.This study examined the influence of practice and orthodontist demographics on the utilization of the different imaging types used for treatment planning. A 17-question survey, approved by the UMKC IRB, was distributed to 2300 members of the American Orthodontic Association. The survey contained three domains: orthodontist demographics, orthodontist practice characteristics, and radiographic imaging used in treatment planning. Radiographic imaging types used for treatment planning that were evaluated included lateral cephalometric, panoramic, and cone-beam computed tomography radiographs (CBCTs). To determine associations between orthodontist demographics and practice characteristics in relation to radiographic imaging used for treatment planning, Fisher’s exact or Chi-squared tests were used. There were 139 respondents to the survey with 86% utilizing panoramic, 85% utilizing lateral cephalometric, and 32% utilizing CBCT for treatment planning in practice. Survey data revealed that younger orthodontists and associates in practices were statistically more likely to utilize CBCTs in practice than panoramic or lateral cephalometric radiographs. Those with CBCT training in residency were statistically less likely to utilize lateral cephalometric radiographs in practice. There was also a statistically significant difference among all categories of imaging type compared to the number of orthodontists in a practice. Opinion questions revealed that the majority of respondents would ideally use a panoramic (68%) and lateral cephalometric (65%) radiograph for treatment planning, have not purchased a CBCT due to cost, and do not plan to purchase a CBCT machine in the future (67%). Overall, the results of this study suggest that some orthodontist demographics and practice characteristics are significantly associated with the type of radiographic imaging used for treatment planning in practice. With the use of CBCT being more prevalent among more recently graduated orthodontists, it could become the radiographic imaging standard for orthodontists, which could enhance the accuracy of treatment planning.Item Teaching and clinical use of teledentistry in United States orthodontic residency programs(2025) Greaves, Matthew; Scott, JoAnna M.; Walker, Mary P.This study examined the current implementation of teleorthodontic teaching and clinical use in United States orthodontic residency programs and sought to identify if there are resident, orthodontic residency program, and/or orthodontic residency program director demographics that are associated with the teaching and clinical use of teleorthodontics. For this study, both the consultative teleorthodontics model in which an orthodontist serves in a consultative role providing remote support to a treating clinician, and the treatment monitoring teleorthodontics model in which an orthodontist directly cares for a patient through remote technology were considered. A 19-question survey, approved by the UMKC IRB, was distributed to orthodontic residency program directors in the continental United States via email. The survey was divided into two domains. The first, focused on residency programs’ current and planned teaching and clinical use of teleorthodontics as well as perceived advantages and disadvantages of incorporating teleorthodontics into the clinical curriculum. The second, focused on program characteristics which might have influenced incorporation of teleorthodontic teaching and use, including number of residents enrolled, program length and location, amount of active child patients, program affiliation, and amount and type of program faculty as well as their experience in teleorthodontics. Descriptive statistics were calculated for all variables from the survey data. To determine any associations between the teaching and/or clinical use of teleorthodontics and all variables, Fisher’s Exact tests were used. Survey data revealed that orthodontic residency programs with 1-2 half-time faculty, defined as providing 2-3 days per week of residency program employment, were significantly less likely to use teleorthodontics clinically than those with more half-time faculty. No other statistically significant associations between residency program characteristics and the teaching or clinical use of teleorthodontics in orthodontic residency programs were identified. Overall, the majority of surveyed orthodontic residency programs are neither teaching teleorthodontics (65%) nor using teleorthodontics clinically (76%) and do not intend to incorporate the teaching (82%) or the clinical use (64%) of teleorthodontics into their curriculum. Results of this study suggest that there is room for growth in the teaching and clinical use of teleorthodontics among orthodontic residency programs in the United States.Item From interfacial nanostructures to advanced constructs: harnessing surfactant self-assembly at liquid interfaces(University of Missouri--Kansas City, 2025) Amirfattahi, Saba; Niroobakhsh, ZahraLiquid-in-liquid 3D (LL3DP) printing offers a promising platform for fabricating soft material structures by depositing an ink phase within an immiscible support bath. While this technique enables the creation of complex architectures for applications in biomedical engineering, drug delivery, and tissue scaffolding, its broader potential is currently limited by the stability and tunability of the liquid-liquid interface. The primary focus of this work is to develop and stabilize structured liquid interfaces that can support and facilitate LL3DP, enabling more reliable and versatile printing of soft materials. By designing material systems with enhanced interfacial stability and responsiveness, this approach aims to expand the library of printable inks and unlock new possibilities for controlled soft matter fabrication. In the first studied system, we investigate the stabilization of the liquid–liquid interface to fabricate a bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gel (bijel) using the LL3DP approach. The bijel consists of two interpenetrating, continuous phases of immiscible liquids, stabilized by the self-assembly of colloidal particles—primarily nanoparticles— at the liquid interface. The structural features of the printed bijel constructs are characterized using confocal and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while their mechanical properties are evaluated through shear rheometry. Compared to other soft materials explored for LL3DP, bijel-based prints offer unique advantages, including interconnected hydrophobic and hydrophilic domains confined within defined geometries, along with tunable structural and rheological characteristics. In the second system, a novel material system based on lipid self-assembly is presented to stabilize water-oil interfaces as the underlying mechanism in the LL3DP. The stabilization process, governed by the formation of nanostructures at the interface, is comprehensively analyzed using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), rheometry, and microscopy techniques. This material system, once incorporated successfully in LL3DP, enables the fabrication of intricate 3D constructs, including fibers, substrates, and microneedle patches, which demonstrate exceptional mechanical properties and biocompatibility, as validated by tensile testing and cell viability assays. Finally, the incorporation of silica nanoparticles into a material system previously established for soft matter 3D printing is presented, which was shown to result in the formation of aerogels with significantly enhanced mechanical strength and stability. Such silica aerogels, known for their ultralight weight and high porosity, tend to reinforce the liquid-phase structures while preserving flexibility. Upon further characterization, SAXS measurements confirm improved nanostructural organization in these aerogels, while rheological properties are comprehensively characterized. The development of these aerogels with hierarchical ordering across multiple length scales opens new possibilities for designing high-performance, multifunctional materials for medical implants, tissue engineering scaffolds, and filtration systems. This thesis, by bridging 3D printing and interfacial stabilization through selfassembly of various colloidal components such as inorganic (silica) nanoparticles and small amphiphilic molecules, lays the foundation for future advancements in soft material fabrication. The precise control over liquid-phase architectures and their tailored mechanical properties, as well as structural ordering at various scales, offers new possibilities for designing new class of materials for medicine, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing.Item Job satisfaction in orthodontics: private practice versus corporate practice(2024) Simister, Brandon; Scott, JoAnna M.; Walker, Mary P.This study investigated the current job satisfaction in orthodontics, specifically the reported job satisfaction among private and corporate practice orthodontists. The study also examined the demographics and practice characteristics of orthodontists whether they were in private or corporate orthodontics. Lastly, the study investigated what orthodontic work preferences were associated with private or corporate practicing orthodontists. A survey was sent to members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) to collect this data. Based on the results of this survey, orthodontists who graduated from orthodontic residency in 2020 or later or had 3 or more office locations were significantly associated with that orthodontist being in private or corporate practice. All other demographic and practice environment findings did not yield significant associations. Additionally, the study found a significant difference in overall job satisfaction between private and corporate practice orthodontists, with private practice orthodontists reporting a higher level of satisfaction. Lastly, there was a significant association between what the orthodontist selected as their most important work preference and whether that orthodontist was in private or corporate practice. Those orthodontists who selected the ownership opportunity as their most important work preference were more likely to be in private practice.