Rate My Professor Arthi Senthilkumar

Dr. Arthi Senthilkumar is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation within the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago. Her academic qualifications include BDS, PGDipHealSc, MHealSc, PhD, DClinDent, and MRACDS (Pros), reflecting her expertise in dental public health and prosthodontics. She completed her Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (DClinDent) at the University of Otago in 2021 with a thesis titled 'Investigating the adequacy of oral health care knowledge of lead maternity carer midwives and pregnant women.' Her doctoral research for the PhD focused on predictors of dental caries among Indian adolescents, emphasizing the roles of parental education and employment status. Dr. Senthilkumar contributes to dental epidemiology, oral health literacy, and the integration of oral health education into non-dental health programs. She supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students across qualitative, quantitative, clinical, and laboratory studies, leveraging her proficiency in research methodology and biostatistics.

Dr. Senthilkumar's research specializations include dental education, gerodontology, biomaterials, public health, dental epidemiology, dental materials, and the connection between oral and overall health. In prosthodontics, she investigates implants, digital dentures, and digital workflows for fixed prosthodontics. She coordinates the DENT 361 Removable prosthodontics module, teaches fixed prostheses in DENT 261 and AEST 801, and supervises research in CLDN 910. Key publications include 'Precision of measurement methods for assessing the fit of screw-retained implant-supported fixed partial dentures: A systematic review of in vitro studies' (He, Bennani, & Veerasamy, Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, 2025), 'Effect of a modified preparation design on the marginal and internal fit of 3D-printed onlays: A feasibility study' (Ung et al., International Journal of Dentistry, 2025), and 'Need assessment to incorporate geriatric oral health care education in New Zealand nursing curricula: A narrative review study' (Veerasamy et al., International Journal of Dentistry, 2025). She presented 'Transforming dental education: From diversity of experience to equity in practice' at the University of Otago Learning and Teaching Symposium in 2025. Dr. Senthilkumar is a member of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons, the Academy of Australian and New Zealand Prosthodontists, and the New Zealand Dental Association.