Rate My Professor Wendy-Ann Jansen van Vuuren

Wendy-Ann Jansen van Vuuren is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation within the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago. She earned her Bachelor of Technology in Dentistry (BTechDent) and National Diploma in Dental Technology (NatDipDentTech) from Technikon Pretoria, followed by a Master of Dental Technology (MDentTech) from the University of Otago in 2015. Her master's thesis, titled "Adhesion Between Yttrium Stabilised Zirconia Ceramic and Indirect Composite Resin," investigated bonding properties relevant to prosthetic dentistry. Her research specializations center on dental biomaterials, with a focus on the mechanical properties and strength testing of ceramics and composite materials. Current interests include the analysis of fractured ceramics and the factors contributing to material failure under clinical conditions.

In her career at the University of Otago, she has supervised numerous postgraduate students on projects involving thermocycling effects on zirconia crowns, toothbrush abrasion performance, marginal fit of 3D-printed onlays, and biofilm accumulation on orthodontic alloys. She is listed as key personnel in dental education research at the Sir John Walsh Research Institute. She received a Lottery Health Research Equipment Grant of $15,417 in 2015 to acquire a Proto-Tech Thermocycler Unit for biomechanics and oral implantology research. Key publications include "Effect of a Modified Preparation Design on the Marginal and Internal Fit of 3D-Printed Onlays: A Feasibility Study" (International Journal of Dentistry, 2025, co-authored with S. Ung, A. Veerasamy, and V. Bennani); "Comparison of Biofilm Accumulation on Conventional and CAD/CAM Orthodontic Band Alloys (in vivo) and Subsequent Enamel Demineralization (ex vivo)" (Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B, 2025, co-authored with A. Horsnell, M. Farella, and G. Tompkins); "Digital Removable Denture Workflows in Dental Education: A Systematic Review and Curriculum Development Exploration" (European Journal of Dental Education, 2025, co-authored with A. Veerasamy, F. Ghuloum, and Y. Lo); "Development of a Bite Force Transducer for Measuring Maximum Voluntary Bite Forces Between Individual Opposing Tooth Surfaces" (Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 2020); and "Coordinate Geometry Method for Capturing and Evaluating Crown Preparation Geometry" (The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, 2014). Her contributions enhance understanding of biomaterial performance in dental applications, supporting advancements in prosthodontics and clinical material selection.