Several projects aim to improve the treatment of deep caries, such as the SELECT study, as well as to identify effective preventive strategies in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups - for example, through Stop Caries Stockholm. Research also covers dental trauma, dental fear and anxiety, and the link between oral health and chronic diseases. Psychological interventions such as internet-based CBT for injection phobia have been developed and evaluated with promising results. A growing research area also involves violence and neglect in relation to oral health. Overall, the department’s work is characterized by a strong translational approach, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a clear goal to reduce inequalities in oral health among children and adolescents.
Georgios Tsilingaridis
Georgios Tsilingaridis is an Associate Professor and Senior Consultant at Ě˝»¨ľ«Ńˇ. His research is clinically focused, with a strong emphasis on prevention, trauma, and oral health in children with special needs. His work spans over several key areas in pediatric dentistry and aims to improve diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care for children at high risk for poor oral health.
One primary research area is traumatic injuries in the young permanent dentition, where Tsilingaridis investigates regenerative treatment methods and apexification in cases of necrotic pulp. The goal is to preserve tooth function and structure during growth, which is crucial for long-term dental health in children.
Another research line concerns caries prevention in socioeconomically disadvantaged children. Early interventions and collaboration between healthcare providers are studied to reduce inequalities in oral health.
His research also includes oral health in children with chronic diseases, such as Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Down syndrome, and childhood cancer survivors. By identifying long-term effects of disease and treatment on oral mucosa and tooth development, the research aims to improve care routines and preventive strategies for these patient groups.
His work has strong international ties through involvement in organizations such as the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT), where he has contributed to the development of global guidelines for dental trauma treatment in children.
Georgios Tsilingaridis
Senior Lecturer/Senior DentistGöran Dahllöf
Göran Dahllöf is a senior professor, and his research at Ě˝»¨ľ«Ńˇ is focused on clinical dental treatment research, particularly in pediatric and adolescent dentistry. Thematically, his research is organized into three main areas:
Psychological interventions for dental and injection phobia: In collaboration with psychologists, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been developed and validated for treating injection phobia in children and adolescents. This treatment model has proven highly effective in clinical studies and is currently the only evidence-based therapy for this patient group. The program has also been successfully implemented as an internet-based version with effects comparable to traditional in-person therapy.
Prosthetic rehabilitation for genetically determined dental conditions and erosion: This includes early prosthetic treatment for young patients with Amelogenesis Imperfecta. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quality of life assessments, and qualitative analyses have shown the treatment improves durability, reduces pain, enhances esthetics, and increases oral health-related quality of life. A 10-year follow-up is currently underway. The team also studies prosthetic strategies for patients with long-term eating disorders, where dental erosion is common and no established treatment guidelines currently exist.
Violence, neglect, and oral health in children and adolescents: In collaboration with Norwegian researchers, the relationship between child abuse, neglect, and oral health is studied during adolescence and adulthood. This research is partly based on data from the Norwegian HUNT Study (Helseundersøkelsen i Nord-Trøndelag), enabling analysis of large population-based cohorts.
Göran Dahllöf
Senior Research SpecialistTĂĽlay Yucel Lindberg
TĂĽlay Yucel Lindberg is an Associate Professor and senior researcher. Her research is translational and interdisciplinary, focusing on understanding the molecular mechanisms behind periodontitis and its connection to systemic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. Using advanced multi-omics methods, including DNA and RNA sequencing, her research aims to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets for early diagnosis and treatment of periodontitis.
A central goal is to map how the oral microbiome and citrullination—a post-translational protein modification—contribute to autoimmune disease development. Her work has shown that patients with rheumatoid arthritis often have a higher prevalence of periodontitis, suggesting a potential link between these conditions.
Yucel Lindberg’s research also includes studies on inflammatory mediators and proteolytic enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in gingival fluid from patients with periodontitis and peri-implantitis. These studies aim to understand tissue degradation mechanisms and identify potential diagnostic biomarkers.
By integrating clinical and preclinical data with bioinformatics and machine learning, her research seeks to develop precision medicine strategies to improve oral health and prevent systemic complications related to periodontitis.
Tulay Lindberg
ResearcherMaria Anderson
Maria Anderson is a senior consultant in pediatric dentistry at the Eastman Institute and holds a PhD from Ě˝»¨ľ«Ńˇ. Her research focuses on caries prevention, especially in children from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.
One of her most notable projects is Stop Caries Stockholm (SCS)—a large cluster-randomized study involving over 3,400 young children from high-risk areas followed from the age of one. The study compared an intensified caries prevention program with standard care. Results showed that daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste was at least as effective as additional interventions like fluoride varnish, contributing valuable knowledge on cost-effective early caries prevention.
She also leads the SELECT study (Selective Excavation and Stepwise Excavation in Young Permanent Teeth with Deep Dental Caries Lesions), a randomized controlled trial comparing two treatment strategies for deep caries in young permanent teeth. The aim is to identify gentle, vitality-preserving methods that reduce the need for invasive treatments in children and adolescents.
Maria Anderson’s research is strongly linked to clinical practice and plays an important role in developing evidence-based guidelines for pediatric dentistry.
Maria Anderson
Affiliated to ResearchAnnika Julihn
Annika Julihn is a specialist in pediatric dentistry and holds a PhD from Ě˝»¨ľ«Ńˇ. Her research focuses on caries epidemiology and prevention in children and adolescents. She works to identify risk factors for caries development and studies how social, Ě˝»¨ľ«Ńˇ, and behavioral factors influence children’s oral health.
A central research area involves understanding the link between general health and caries. Through extensive registry-based studies, Julihn has shown that children with chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, or neuropsychiatric disorders are at increased risk for caries.
She has also contributed to research on caries prevention in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and school-based intervention programs. Additionally, she has developed prediction models for caries based on individual data from various registries.
Her research contributes to developing preventive strategies aimed at reducing inequalities in oral health among children and adolescents.
Annika Julihn
Affiliated to ResearchTherese Kvist
Therese Kvist is a certified specialist in pediatric dentistry and holds a PhD from Ě˝»¨ľ«Ńˇ. She is currently a senior lecturer at the University of Western Australia in Perth. Her research focuses on the relationship between children's oral health and exposure to violence or neglect, as well as the role of dental care in identifying and supporting these children. She is involved in several international research projects investigating the link between exposure to violence and oral health in children and adolescents, including collaborations with Astrid Lindgren Children’s Hospital and Norwegian research institutions. Through her work, Kvist contributes to raising awareness of the dental profession’s role in identifying and supporting children exposed to violence and neglect, as well as developing evidence-based methods to improve these children’s oral health and quality of life.
