Australian dental health set to improve with $31.6m funding boost
11 Aug 09
Australians will benefit from improved dental health due to the $31.6m funding for a new Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre (Oral Health CRC), Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, The Hon Kim Carr has announced.
The new CRC will work toward the discovery and development of new preventive products and treatments for oral diseases such as caries (dental decay) and periodontitis (gum disease) which currently cost Australians some $6 billion a year. It also seeks to identify the links between dental and general health. The CRC will be based at the University of Melbourne and will further the work of the existing CRC for Oral Health Science located at Bio21 Institute and the School of Dental Science, University of Melbourne. Anti-decay technology developed within the current CRC is already being used in food and drink and oral care products around the world.
"This really is an investment in Australia's reputation as a world-leader in oral health research. The contributions by government and the CRC collaborators will result in substantial benefits to Australia both by reducing the burden of oral disease and in developing world-first knowledge and intellectual property," says the CEO of the new Oral Health CRC and Head of Melbourne Dental School at the University of Melbourne, Professor Eric Reynolds AO. Read the Oral Health CRC media release, 7 August 2009. Read more about the existing Oral Health CRC and Eric Reynolds.
