Associate Professor Rahena Akhter
Discipline Head of Cariology
Dr. Rahena Akhter is an Associate Professor and Discipline Head of Cariology at the Sydney Dental School (SDS), Faculty of Medicine and Health, the University of Sydney. She specializes in Preventive Dentistry (PhD, Hokkaido University, Japan), expert in teaching caries management system (CMS) in the Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) and Bachelor of Oral Health Therapy (BOH) Program at SDS. She received "outstanding Teaching Award" at SDS in the University of Sydney in 2022. Her broad experience, gained in Japan, Bangladesh, and Australia, has included working closely with high caries risk patients, Cerebral Palsy patients, maternal health, and other developmentally disabled patients at dental public hospitals. She is also an AHPRA registered current practicing dental clinician in Sydney.
Caries management system (CMS), Caries risk assessment (CRA)
Cariology research particularly socioeconomic, environmental and behavioral determinants of dental caries
Oral health and systemic disease (CVD, Diabetes)
Oral and Periodonal health in pregnant women
Oral health research in elderly/aboriginal population in regional Australia (longitudinaland cross-sectional epidemiological study)
Medical-student research carried out in University setting.
Microbiological and Histopathological study: slide preparation, histopathological examination etc
Salivary analysis, Blood micronutrient analysis etc.
Cariology, Dental Caries management system
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TITLE 1: Factors affecting dental caries experience in children with cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy (CP) is a set of nonprogressive neuromuscular disorders caused by defects in the developing fetal brain. Children with Cerebral Palsy are often have physical, coordinative, sensory, intelligence, communication and cognitive difficulties in performing, sensing and memorizing self-care activities of daily living (ADLs), such as walking, bathing, dressing, brushing the teeth, eating, conversing, and ambulating. These difficulties severely impact their ADLs and lead to a deteriorated oral health status such as a high caries rate and number of decayed teeth, low restoration teeth number and rate and/or poor restorative quality, and profound periodontal inflammation. As a result, children with CP often require extensive dental treatment. The aim of our study was to describe the factors affecting dental caries experience and oral health status among children and adolescents with cerebral palsy.In this study, children with CP of 2-18 years old will be selected. CP types in terms of clinical patterns of involvement (quadriplegia, diplegia, hemiplegia or double hemiplegia) and Severity of CP measured using the Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS I-V), will be assessed. Caries experience will be measured by decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) index. Clinical periodontal index (CPI), BMI, oral hygiene behaviour (tooth brushing frequency, use of toothbrush and FL toothpaste), dental visit, masticatory ability and history of snacking between meals will also be assessed. Data will be analysed using chi-square and Fisher’s exact test. After bivariate analysis, variables with a p-value <0.05 will be selected for incorporation into the binary regression models and adjusted for age and gender. This study would emphasize on earlier preventive measures for CP patients because they are a high-risk group for dental caries. Effort should be made for better organization of preventative dental care and promoting dental health of this challenged population.
TITLE 2: Oral health and physical fitness among elderly adults in regional Australia Older persons with poor physical fitness are at risk of oral disease, because physical disability may affect their ability to maintain good oral hygiene and restrict their access to dental treatment. Nevertheless, there has been no report on the association between oral health condition and physical fitness measurements in an elderly population in Regional Australia, where more than 3 million people (13.5%) are aged 65 and older. The aimsof the present study were to provide preliminary data on the prevalence of oral disease in elderly non-smokers in regional and rural Australia as well as its association with psychosocial status and physical fitness.Voluntary middle-aged (60 and over) nonsmoking patients with six or more teeth living in regional Australia (Orange, Bathurst, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga etc), would participate in this study. Caries experience will be measured by decayed, missing, and filled teeth (dmft/DMFT) index. 6 index teeth will be examined using the Periodontal screening and recording (PSR) scoring method. The subjects’ physical fitness will be measured according to handgrip strength (HGS, kg) and one-leg standing time with open eyes (OLST, seconds). Information on age, sex, education, dietary history and systemic disease will be obtained. Body mass index (BMI); masticatory function (Eichner Index); and periodontal condition, including probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival recession, and mobility will be recorded. Levels of plaque accumulation will be recorded using the plaque index (PI). SPSS 22.0 will be used for statistical analysis. The findings from this study would raise an important clinical issue for prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease. Oral health status, because it is easy to examine and modify through treatment, could be used as a screening tool to identify individuals at risk of deterioration in health. An increased focus on prevention of the development of dental caries and periodontal disease in individuals at risk may benefit general health and dental health. TITLE 3: Correlation between maternal periodontitis and adverse pregnancy outcome Maternal body provides nutrients, oxygen, and protection to the babies in uterus for 9 months. Diseases in the mothers, including gum disease, can negatively influence the development of the babies in uterus and health projection after birth. 50% of the pregnant women suffer from gum disease, especially women in lower social-economic groups. Gum disease not only is a cause for tooth loss but also causes systemic inflammation that circulates in the maternal body and to the foetus, leading to disease like heart and diabetes in the adult, and premature and low weight birth of the babies. Maternal gum disease is also linked to the childhood diseases like asthma and some neurological problems. However, the extend of the impact of the gum disease in pregnancy is still unclear, especially given the complexity of the maternal health. In this study, we are aiming to establish a protocol which will lead to a long-term collaboration with the maternal-foetal health team to prospectively investigate the role of poor oral health to the adverse pregnancy outcome in context of other systemic. shaping future health policies for women’s oral health and prenatal oral care funding in Australia.
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· International Association for Dental Research (IADR)
· Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS)
· Australian Dental Association (ADA)
· Australia/New Zealand Assoc. for Dental Research
· International Association for Study of Pain (IASP)
· Australian Pain society (APS)
· Japanese association for Dental Research (JADR)
· Asian Academy of Preventive Dentistry
· Japanese society for Dental Health
Publications
Book Chapters
- Akhter, R., Hassan, N., Nadkarni, M., Martin, E., Khandaker, G. (2018). Oral Health in Children with Cerebral Palsy. In Isam Jaber Al-Zwaini (Eds.), Cerebral Palsy - Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects, (pp. 79-92). London: IntechOpen. [More Information]
Journals
- Le, Q., Eslick, G., Mathieu Coulton, K., Akhter, R., Lain, S., Nassar, N., Yaacoub, A., Condous, G., Leonardi, M., Eberhard, J., Nanan, R. (2022). DIFFERENTIAL IMPACT OF PERIODONTAL TREATMENT STRATEGIES DURING PREGNANCY ON PERINATAL OUTCOMES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice, 22(1), 101666. [More Information]
- Le, Q., Akhter, R., Mathieu Coulton, K., Vo, N., Duong, L., Nong, H., Yaacoub, A., Condous, G., Eberhard, J., Nanan, R. (2022). Periodontitis and Preeclampsia in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 26(12), 2419-2443. [More Information]
- Cui, S., Akhter, R., Yao, D., Peng, X., Feghali, M., Chen, W., Blackburn, E., Martin, E., Khandaker, G. (2022). Risk Factors for Dental Caries Experience in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy—A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13). [More Information]
2022
- Le, Q., Eslick, G., Mathieu Coulton, K., Akhter, R., Lain, S., Nassar, N., Yaacoub, A., Condous, G., Leonardi, M., Eberhard, J., Nanan, R. (2022). DIFFERENTIAL IMPACT OF PERIODONTAL TREATMENT STRATEGIES DURING PREGNANCY ON PERINATAL OUTCOMES: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS. Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice, 22(1), 101666. [More Information]
- Le, Q., Akhter, R., Mathieu Coulton, K., Vo, N., Duong, L., Nong, H., Yaacoub, A., Condous, G., Eberhard, J., Nanan, R. (2022). Periodontitis and Preeclampsia in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 26(12), 2419-2443. [More Information]
- Cui, S., Akhter, R., Yao, D., Peng, X., Feghali, M., Chen, W., Blackburn, E., Martin, E., Khandaker, G. (2022). Risk Factors for Dental Caries Experience in Children and Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy—A Scoping Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13). [More Information]
2021
- Mills, E., Akhter, R., Di Pietro, F., Murray, G., Peck, C., Macey, P., Henderson, L. (2021). Altered Brainstem Pain Modulating Circuitry Functional Connectivity in Chronic Painful Temporomandibular Disorder. The Journal of Pain, 22(2), 219-232. [More Information]
- Almabadi, E., Seymour, G., Akhter, R., Bauman, A., Cullinan, M., Eberhard, J. (2021). Reduction of hsCRP levels following an Oral Health Education Program combined with routine dental treatment. Journal of Dentistry, 110, 103686. [More Information]
- Almabadi, E., Bauman, A., Akhter, R., Gugusheff, J., Van Buskirk, J., Sankey, M., Palmer, J., Kavanagh, D., Seymour, G., Cullinan, M., Eberhard, J. (2021). The Effect of a Personalized Oral Health Education Program on Periodontal Health in an At-Risk Population: A Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 846. [More Information]
2020
- Henderson, L., Di Pietro, F., Youssef, A., Lee, S., Tam, S., Akhter, R., Mills, E., Murray, G., Peck, C., Macey, P. (2020). Effect of Expectation on Pain Processing: A Psychophysics and Functional MRI Analysis. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 6. [More Information]
- Nguyen, A., Akhter, R., Garde, S., Scott, C., Twigg, S., Colagiuri, S., Ajwani, S., Eberhard, J. (2020). The association of periodontal disease with the complications of diabetes mellitus. A systematic review. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 165, 108244. [More Information]
2019
- Power, R., Akhter, R., Muhit, M., Wadud, S., Heanoy, E., Karim, T., Badawi, N., Khandaker, G. (2019). A quality of life questionnaire for adolescents with cerebral palsy: psychometric properties of the Bengali CPQoL-teens. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 17(1), 1-11. [More Information]
- Akhter, R., Hassan, N., Martin, E., Muhit, M., Smithers-Sheedy, H., Badawi, N., Khandaker, G. (2019). Caries experience and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of children and adolescents with cerebral palsy in a low resource setting. BMC Oral Health, 19(1), 1-6. [More Information]
- Power, R., Akhter, R., Muhit, M., Wadud, S., Heanoy, E., Karim, T., Badawi, N., Khandaker, G. (2019). Cross-cultural validation of the Bengali version KIDSCREEN-27 quality of life questionnaire. BMC Pediatrics, 19(1), 1-10. [More Information]
2018
- Alshelh, Z., Marciszewski, K., Akhter, R., Di Pietro, F., Mills, E., Vickers, E., Peck, C., Murray, G., Henderson, L. (2018). Disruption of default mode network dynamics in acute and chronic pain states. NeuroImage: Clinical, 17, 222-231. [More Information]
- Akhter, R., Hassan, N., Nadkarni, M., Martin, E., Khandaker, G. (2018). Oral Health in Children with Cerebral Palsy. In Isam Jaber Al-Zwaini (Eds.), Cerebral Palsy - Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects, (pp. 79-92). London: IntechOpen. [More Information]
- Maulina, T., Amhamed, M., Whittle, T., Gal, J., Akhter, R., Murray, G. (2018). The Effects of Experimental Temporalis Muscle Pain on Jaw Muscle Electromyographic Activity During Jaw Movements and Relationships with Some Psychological Variables. Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache, 32(1), 29-39. [More Information]
2017
- Murray, A., Akhter, R., Hassan, N. (2017). Assessment of anxiety and depression among university students and its impact on temporomandibular disorders (Abstracts). Australian Dental Journal, 61(4), S34-S34. [More Information]
- Hassan, N., Akhter, R., Staudinger, L., Tarpey, N., Basha, S., Cox, S., Kashiwazaki, H. (2017). Oral Disease and Malnutrition in the Elderly-Impact of Oral Cancer. Current Oral Health Reports, 4, 64-69. [More Information]
- Akhter, R., Hassan, N., Martin, E., Muhit, M., Haque, M., Smithers-Sheedy, H., Jones, C., Badawi, N., Khandaker, G. (2017). Risk factors for dental caries among children with cerebral palsy in a low-resource setting. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 59(5), 538-543. [More Information]
2016
- Akhter, R., Murray, A., Hassan, N. (2016). Assessment of anxiety and depression among university students and its impact on temporomandibular disorders (Abstracts). Australian Dental Journal, 61(4), S34-S35. [More Information]
- Amhamed, M., Whittle, T., Maulina, T., Gal, J., Akhter, R., Murray, G. (2016). Effect of experimental anterior temporalis muscle pain on jaw movements. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 43(12), 889-899. [More Information]
- Akhter, R., Svensson, P., Nicholas, M., Peck, C., Murray, G. (2016). Effect of experimental jaw muscle pain on jaw muscle activity in higher catastrophizers (Abstracts). Australian Dental Journal, 61(4), S6-S6. [More Information]
2013
- Henderson, L., Peck, C., Petersen, E., Rae, C., Youssef, A., Reeves, J., Wilcox, S., Akhter, R., Murray, G., Gustin, S. (2013). Chronic Pain: Lost Inhibition? Journal of Neuroscience, 33(17), 7574-7582. [More Information]
- Minami, I., Akhter, R., Albersen, I., Burger, C., Whittle, T., Lobbezoo, F., Peck, C., Murray, G. (2013). Masseter Motor Unit Recruitment is Altered in Experimental Jaw Muscle Pain. Journal of Dental Research, 92(2), 143-148. [More Information]
- Akhter, R., Morita, M., Ekuni, D., Hassan, N., Furuta, M., Yamanaka, R., Matsuka, Y., Wilson, D. (2013). Self-reported aural symptoms, headache and temporomandibular disorders in Japanese young adults. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 14, 1-7. [More Information]
2012
- Minami, I., Akhter, R., Luraschi, J., Oogai, K., Nemoto, T., Peck, C., Murray, G. (2012). Jaw-movement smoothness during empty chewing and gum chewing. European Journal of Oral Sciences, 120(3), 195-200. [More Information]
2011
- Akhter, R., Morita, M., Esaki, M., Nakamura, K., Kanehira, T. (2011). Development of temporomandibular disorder symptoms: a 3-year cohort study of university students. Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, 38(6), 395-403. [More Information]
- Yamanaka, R., Akhter, R., Furuta, M., Ekuni, D., Esaki, M., Yamamoto, T., Okazaki, Y., Maruyama, T., Yokoi, A., Morita, M. (2011). Relationship between Visual Activity and Labial Closure Force in Japanese Elementary School Children. Journal of Dental Health, 61, 288-294.
Selected Grants
2024
- Association of Oral Health in Developmental Disability with Multimorbidity, Quality of Life, and carer knowledge, Akhter R, International Association for Dental Research/Research Grant
2022
- Equity Prize: Brown, Akhter R, DVC Research/Equity Prize: Brown
Scholarshops achieved:
1. Japan Govt. Monbusho scholarship from 2013-2017
2. Commonwealth Scholarship in UK 2012
3. Square Pharmaceuticals Com Ltd scholarship 1997-2000
4. Dhaka University Scholarship 1994-2000
General Dental Practitioner:
Pacific Smiles Dental Blacktown
In the media
03/2023 Interviewed as a Women in Dentistry at the International Women’s
day by SUDA representative and published in bite magazine.
01/2023 2023 Equity Prize announces at the University of Sydney website.
03/2021 AustralianDental AssociationCPD Webinar keynotespeaker dental
cariesandNutrition
05/2020 Published in the Faculty of Dentistry Yammar website, ACFF(2nd)
grant achievement
15/1/2019 Published in the Faculty of Dentistry Yammar website, ACFF (1st)
grant achievement
13/12/2018 Published in the Faculty of Dentistry Yammar websiteregarding
CariesManagement Symposiumorganization
3/10/2018 Publishedin the Faculty of DentistryYammar websiteregarding
Facultyboardmember
9/7/18 Publishedin the Faculty of DentistryYammar websiteregarding2018 Wrigley Company
Foundationcommunityservicegrantachievement
24/9/18 Published in the Facultyof DentistryYammarwebsite regardingawardachievement 2018 IADR ANZ division award in preventive and Community Dentistry
5/6/18 Published in the Facultyof DentistryYammarwebsite regardingmy achievementin the leadership program for CALD Women
Others
1. 1/7/2017. You Tube posdcast paper, entitled 'Risk factors for dental caries among children with cerebral palsy in a low-resource setting.'https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRb5o2rWyFg 2. 30/4/2015- Bite Magazine, NSW “Pain relief research awarded on international stage.
http://bitemagazine.com.au/pain-relief-research-awarded-on-international-stage/
2. 22/4/2015- International dental award to Dr. Rahena Akhter, Central Western Daily Newspaper.
http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/story/ International dental award
3. 11/11/2014 - Research led by Dr Rahena Akhter from School of Dentistry and Health Sciences on “A real pain in the neck?”
http://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/health/a-real-pain-in-the-neck
4. 02/05/2013 – “New research involving Charles Sturt University (CSU) lecturer Dr Rahena Akhter has shown the dentist’s drill may not always be the best cure for a sore tooth”.
http://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/science/new-research-drills-into-chronic-pain
5. I was interviewed for my excellent research works at CSU in Western Daily newspaper on May 9, 2013.
http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/story/1487679/toothache-might-not-be-whats-biting-you/
6. 30/3/2015- Pain-relieving research awarded on international stage
http://news.csu.edu.au/latest-news/science/pain-relieving-research-awarded-on-international-stage
7. Interviewed in WIN TV News Orange (channel 8) on 12th May 2013, in relation to research publications as well as the orofacial pain management clinic at the Dental and Oral health clinic, School of Dentistry and Health Sciences at Charles Sturt University, Orange, NSW.