1966 B.S., Biology/Biophysics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1971 Ph.D., Biology/Biopphysics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1979 D.D.S., University of Maryland

Performance and properties of brittle materials
Tissue response to scaffolds
Adhesion to hard tissues
Diagnosis and treatment of hidden caries

The full potential of esthetic ceramic-based dental restorations cannot yet be realized. Shaping-induced damage, exacerbated by fatigue damage during normal chewing, dramatically reduces the initial strength of these inherently brittle materials. Our inter-institutional (NYU, Princeton, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and Universities of Maryland and Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) multi-disciplinary (physicists, material scientists, engineers, statisticians, and clinicians) group is working to develop a fundamental understanding of damage initiation and accumulation in all-ceramic dental crowns (and dental hard tissues) as a function of materials, crown design, and fabrication variables.

Tissue response to scaffolds is a complex set of interactions between scaffold features and materials. Interactions and interplay between these variables across length scales ranging from (sub-micrometer features (primarily surface chemistry and texture) to tens to thousands of micrometers (primarily wall porosity and channel/pore size), and mm-scale macro-architecture features (repeating units and overall dimensions) have not been well delineated. Our long-term objective is to determine combinations of material and scaffold features across length scales that will form fundamental building blocks to create structures for programmed bone response. In this manner, tissue response can be tailored and healing rates accelerated.

NIH: Machinable Ceramics: Optimizing Performance and Properties
NJ Commission on Science and Technology: Program for Engineered Tissue Response
SS White Bur Company: Burs for selective removal of infected vs affected dentin, bonding to affected dentin and surface modification of affected dentin for improved adhesion
Hereaus-Kulzer: Clinic evaluation of resin based composite restorations with variation in bonding agent

Lawn BR, Deng Y, Lloyd IK, Janal MN, Rekow ED, Thompson VP (2002): "Materials design of ceramic-based layer structures for crowns", J Dent Res 81: 433-438.

Lawn B, Deng Y and Thompson VP (2001): "Use of contact testing in the characterization and design of all- ceramic crown-like layer structures: A review", J Prosthet Dent 86:495-510.

Rekow ED, Thompson, VP (2001): "Clinical performance - A reflection of damage accumulation in ceramic dental crowns", Key Engineering Materials 198-199: 190-210.

Rekow, E.D., Thompson, V.P. (2000): " Dental Biomaterials", J Biomed Mater Res 52:287-288.

Nagarajan, V.S., Hockey, B.J., Jahanmir, S., and Thompson, V.P. (2000): "Contact Wear Mechanisms of a Dental Composite with High Filler Loading", J Mater Sci, 35:487-496.

Peterson, I.M., Pajares, A., Lawn, B.R., Thompson, V.P., and Rekow, E.D. (1998). "Mechanical Characterization of Dental Ceramics by Hertzian Contact", J Dent Res, 77:589-602.

Xu, H.H.K., Smith, D.T., Jahanmir, S., Romberg, E., Kelly, J.R., Thompson, V.P., Rekow, E.D. (1997): "Indentation Damage and Mechanical Properties of Human Enamel and Dentin", J Dent Res, 77:472-480.