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Onwubu Shortlisted for Thesis National Competition

Onwubu Shortlisted for Thesis National Competition

DUT’s Master’s student Stanley Onwubu has been shortlisted for the prestigious Three Minute Thesis (3MT) National Competition which is currently taking place at the University of Free State.

The annual competition, which ends today (27 August 2015), is for active PhD and professional Doctorate (Research) candidates who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including candidates whose thesis is under submission) by the date of their first presentation.

Onwubu’s research is being supervised by Dr Anisa Vahed with co-supervision from Prof Krishnan Kanny and Dr Shalini Singh. Dr Vahed has worked for the DUT Department of Dental Sciences since 1999 and persevered in attaining excellence in her work. She is also the first South African Dental Technician to have a journal article published in an international journal. “Stanley is the epitome of an ideal student. He’s passionate, driven and has foresight. Having a student like that makes research so much easier,” said Dr Vahed.

Onwubu is very excited to be representing DUT and to be among other students with such exciting research topics.”I’m looking forward to networking and am hoping to win R10 000 prize money which I can use towards my research,” he said.

His research aims to develop and test the quality of an alternative material (eggshells) to pumice for reducing the surface roughness of heat-cured acrylic resins.

“Pumice is used in the polishing of dental appliances to remove surface irregularities. It is usually used in a slurry form that is pumice powder mixed with water. In Nigeria, the increased cost of pumice as a result of its limited supply into the country has encouraged dental technicians to re-use slurry pumice for longer periods that advocated when polishing acrylic dentures, whether old or new dentures which have been worn in the mouth. This is likely to increase cross-infection of communicable diseases in the dental technology laboratory. Eggshells naturally contain high amounts of calcium similar to bone and teeth and this association has led manufacturers to include calcium carbonate (eggshells) in toothpaste as it is an abrasive agent that aids removal of dental plaque. The abrasive characteristics of the eggshell powder suggest that it can be used as a polishing material to help reduce the roughness of dental appliances,” he said.

In essence, Onwubu wants to help develop new material that will reduce global warming and carbon emission.

– Waheeda Peters

Pictured: DUT Master’s student Stanley Onwubu who has been shortlisted for the prestigious Three Minute Thesis National (3MT) Competition

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