Mark Gidley, a finalist in the BDA / Dentsply Student Clinician Programme and winner of the second prize, explains how he became involved when planning the elective period of his dentistry degree, and wanted to research the relationship between Type 2 diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease. Before he could begin however, there was a great deal of groundwork to be done.
‘The plan was to undertake two research projects in parallel, to make sure there were enough results at the end of the five week period to be able to write a full project report. This was organised in collaboration with the University of Newcastle oral biology department and together we planned the projects to be carried out and investigated ways to fund the elective research project.
‘I applied to the Society for General Microbiology, which provides grants to enable medical and dental undergraduates to work on microbiological research projects during their elective periods. It was with their funding that the research could go ahead.’
Based in Newcastle for five weeks, Mark’s research was part of a larger project investigating the plaque microflora of patients with and without Type 2 diabetes. A central aspect of his research was developing a new scientific method of isolating bacterial cells from plaque samples and analysing the bacterial DNA. This allowed Mark to identify differences in plaque microflora in groups of patients, according to periodontal disease and diabetic status.
‘This was quite a challenge, it required a lot of work to set up a new method and to test this for accuracy and reliability.
‘Of the five weeks, four were taken up with developing and optimising the methods and one week at the end to generate the results from clinical plaque samples taken from groups of patients. I had to balance analysing the results from the project with my course in Sheffield; the clinical placements and academic work as well as writing up the research paper.
‘It was interesting work and it felt great to be involved with an important research project, because there is a clear association between type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease, the increasing prevalence of both is likely to have a significant impact on economics and the health of patients. Understanding the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes is crucial in order to provide effective dental treatment to diabetic patients.’
As part of the University of Sheffield’s screening process of projects to be considered for the BDA / Dentsply Student Clinician Programme, three had been initially short-listed as being possibilities for nomination in the national final.
‘I was proud and pleased to have been chosen by the University. I had put a lot into the project so it was good for that to be recognised and rewarded with the invitation to compete in the national finals.’
Mark then faced the challenge of preparing a poster that provided a background to the research, its conclusions and the impact he hoped to have with the research.
‘It was important to emphasise that the method that was developed and optimised for analysing plaque samples was relevant not just for diabetes but for other systemic diseases. I was required to prepare a poster and oral presentation for the panel of judges. I was grateful to receive the assistance of Prof Ian Douglas, who offered advice on pitching at the right level and how to effectively highlight the impact it would have on dental patients.
‘It felt great to have the chance to explain my research to a distinguished panel of adjudicators and to describe what I had achieved - a fantastic opportunity. Being nominated for and attending the national final was an honour and to have won second place was a great surprise.’
Mark recommends the BDA / Dentsply Student Clinician Programme to others: ‘This was a great opportunity to meet with like-minded students and to meet members of the dental profession who were generous in their advice for a future career in research. Being able to develop research and present it to an expert panel is a fantastic experience; one which I doubt would have been possible had it not been for the sponsorship by Dentsply. Their support is important to dental schools and there is definitely a drive to win one of the national awards. The team from the BDA and from Dentsply were very enthusiastic and supportive and interested in all of the projects nominated.
‘If I were to offer any advice to other students taking part, it would be to make sure that your poster is well-designed, eye-catching and easy to follow. I was impressed by the quality of the other finalists’ posters, clearly a great deal of time and effort had been put into them.
‘The other important tip is to enjoy the opportunity!’