Dentistry Thesis Topics: Fluorosis, Gutka, Pulp Therapy and Dental Age in Pakistan

Before I commit to a dental thesis, I want answers to a few questions.

• Can I reach my sample from one dental hospital, one school district or one registry within my posting?
• Does my question need children, radiographs or patient photographs, and which committee approves each?
• Has an MDS or FCPS candidate already had the same comparison approved?
• Will I measure outcomes myself with a named index, or rely on records someone else kept?
• Can I explain the design and its main weakness to my panel in two minutes?

Dentistry is wide, so no single thesis can cover it. These topics sit mainly in community and paediatric dentistry, oral medicine, periodontology, orthodontics, prosthodontics and oral radiology. Pulp therapy and antibiotic prescribing bring in endodontics. Implant surgery and dental materials chemistry get only brief mention. Students who want the wider clinical picture can also browse medical research topics for BDS and MBBS projects.

Where dental theses come from in Pakistan

The route decides the rules, so check yours first. The table shows what each route asks of a topic.

Route	What shapes the topic	Topics that suit
BDS project	PM&DC extended the BDS to five years from session 2024 to 2025, with a clerkship year and then a house job (Dawn report). Each college sets its own project rules.	1, 4 and 10, because one site is enough
MDS	UHS asks for an Ethical Review Committee certificate with the synopsis. A synopsis review committee and the Advanced Studies and Research Board then review it (UHS synopsis guidelines).	3, 5, 7, 8 and 9
FCPS	CPSP says research starts only after its Research Evaluation Unit approves the synopsis (CPSP dissertation rules). Dow lists FCPS-II dentistry as a four-year programme in operative dentistry, orthodontics, prosthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery (DUHS page).	3, 8, 9 and 10
MPhil or PhD	Registry, survey, laboratory or image data is common. The MPhil thesis guide explains the usual stages.	2, 6, 11 and 12

Position correct as of November 2026. A news report of 20 August 2026 says UHS has revised its MDS curricula in operative dentistry, prosthodontics, orthodontics and oral and maxillofacial surgery (Pakistan Observer). Check PM&DC, UHS, CPSP and your own college for the current rules.

Children’s teeth and community programmes

1. Water fluoride and fluorosis in 12-year-olds of one tehsil

Fluorosis is common in parts of Pakistan, yet many studies infer water fluoride instead of measuring it. A Quetta survey of 349 twelve-year-olds found fluorosis in 63.6% of children, but it relied on earlier water figures (Sami and colleagues). Khan and colleagues examined 1,020 twelve-year-olds in 19 cities. They argued that the optimal fluoride level for Pakistan is nearer 0.39 ppm than the usual 0.7 ppm (Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology).

A sharper project measures fluoride in each child’s household water source. Then it grades fluorosis with one named index and records caries in the same children. Ask about tea as well, because few Quetta children knew that tea contains fluoride. A study at Liaquat University, Jamshoro, also examined caries in people with fluorosis, so read it before you start (JCPSP article). Confirm that a water laboratory can run the tests before you promise them.

2. Toothbrushing advice in Lady Health Worker home visits

A York PhD thesis built a toothbrushing programme for parents, delivered by Lady Health Workers. The feasibility study recruited seven workers and 34 mothers, and the author concluded that a definitive trial is needed (Faisal, University of York). The same thesis reports a 2021 review in which oral health was among the gaps in the Lady Health Worker curriculum.

Two student-sized options follow from this. First, run a small before-and-after pilot in one union council and measure parent-reported twice-daily brushing at three months. Second, review what the curriculum actually teaches about oral health. Both need permission from the district programme. Either way, say plainly that a pilot without a comparison group cannot prove effect.

3. Pulpotomy outcomes in primary molars at twelve months

UHS agendas show that MDS operative dentistry candidates have had pulpotomy trials approved with local plant materials. Titles include mustard gel against MTA, neem against MTA, and Nigella sativa oil against formocresol (UHS operative dentistry agendas). So swapping the herb alone will not make a new project.

Instead, choose the agent for a stated reason and define success with one published clinical and radiographic criteria set before you start. Fix follow-up at 6 and 12 months. Then have a second observer read radiographs without knowing the group. Calculate the sample per arm, and obtain parental consent for every child. Finally, search the agenda lists to confirm that your exact comparison is not already approved.

4. Does the Urdu children’s dental fear cut-off hold outside Lahore?

The Urdu version of the Children’s Fear Survey Schedule, Dental Subscale, was tested on 204 children aged 4 to 14 at the Children’s Hospital in Lahore. Reliability was high, and scores above 43 were labelled fearful. However, the sample was convenient, and the authors asked for larger studies (JPMA 2017).

A thesis could test the same scale in Karachi or Peshawar. Add a repeat test after two weeks, and compare the cut-off with an observer’s rating of behaviour in the chair. If many children speak Pashto or Sindhi at home, check that the Urdu wording is understood. Adult tools exist too, including an Urdu Dental Fear Survey (BMC Oral Health). Check licence terms for any scale before use.

Mouth lesions, habits and cancer

5. Mouth opening after gutka cessation in oral submucous fibrosis

Several Pakistani studies describe oral submucous fibrosis at a single visit. Siddiqui and colleagues studied 300 gutka chewers at Baqai Dental College and Fatima Hospital in Karachi. Duration of use, not frequency, correlated with severity, and 6% had mouth opening under 20 mm (British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery). Treatment comparisons are already crowded, since a randomised trial of a topical gel and an intraoral device is registered for Karachi (ClinicalTrials.gov).

A cohort fits better. Record interincisal distance in millimetres and a burning score at baseline, three months and six months. Ask about chewing status at each visit, and note any other treatment. Loss to follow-up is the main risk, so plan reminders from the first visit.

6. Where in the mouth does cancer occur in Karachi, and has the pattern moved?

The Karachi Cancer Registry recorded 2,253 oral cancers in Karachi South from 1995 to 2002. Cheek mucosa accounted for 55.9% and tongue for 28.4% (Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention). The Dow Cancer Registry later recorded 22,858 cancers from 2010 to 2019, and 4,400 of them (19.2%) were in the lip and oral cavity. Its authors say national estimates may not represent Karachi (Journal of Taibah University Medical Sciences).

A project could compare subsite, age and sex profiles across the two periods. Expect three obstacles. The catchments differ, because one covers Karachi South and the other the whole city. Site coding must match, and registry permission takes time. State the standard population if you report age-standardised rates. This suits MPhil, MPH or MDS oral pathology.

Gums, jaws and replacement teeth

7. HbA1c twelve months after scaling and root planing in type 2 diabetes

A three-arm trial at Dow University randomised 150 patients with type 2 diabetes and periodontitis. Only 97 returned at three months and 74 at six months. The authors suggested a further study with 12 months of follow-up and noted that fasting visits were hard to attend (BMC Oral Health 2021). A smaller study at Khyber College of Dentistry reported a fall in mean HbA1c after therapy (Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry).

A twelve-month design can answer the open question. Use HbA1c as the main outcome, because, unlike fasting glucose, it needs no fasting sample. Inflate the sample for dropout, and use reminder calls. Record every change in diabetes medicine, since a dose change can explain a result better than scaling does.

8. Orthodontic norms for one ethnic group, measured twice

A Karachi study of 1,000 young adults found that every Steiner value differed from Caucasian norms except ANB (Journal of Khyber College of Dentistry 2025). Earlier norm studies used far smaller groups, such as 40 young adults with pleasing faces (Shaikh and Alvi). The 2025 authors also called for other age groups, more variables and different analyses.

So a new project can add one ethnic or regional group and use a second analysis. Define ethnicity before sampling, for example by grandparent origin. Have a panel rate profiles, trace each film twice, and report the measurement error. Archived cephalograms avoid extra radiation, but confirm that your committee allows research use. Note that a sample drawn only from treatment-seeking patients may lean towards protrusion.

9. Surface finish and enamel wear against zirconia in a chewing simulator

UHS prosthodontics agendas include approved synopses on wear of human enamel against zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate and monolithic zirconia after chewing simulation. Others compare PEEK with zirconia restorations (UHS prosthodontics agendas). In the agendas available online, surface finishing does not appear as a named variable. A new project could therefore compare polished and glazed zirconia against enamel.

In vitro work needs tight control. Standardise the specimens, and use the same load and cycle count for every group. Use extracted teeth with consent, measure wear with one method, and blind the person who measures. Ask first whether your university or a partner laboratory has a chewing simulator, because access decides this topic.

Clinics, radiographs and images

10. What dentists say versus what they prescribe for dental infections

A survey of 409 Karachi dentists found that amoxicillin-clavulanate was the usual choice at 83.6%, and 69% advised at least five days. Most knew the guidelines. Yet in all six clinical scenarios most respondents thought antibiotics were appropriate, although the AAE guidance indicated them in only one. The authors noted the risk of response bias (BMC Oral Health 2024).

An audit can close that gap. Review prescriptions for endodontic emergencies in one dental outpatient department over a fixed period. Compare them with a named guideline. Then ask the same clinicians the survey questions, so you can set practice beside self-report. Use anonymous prescriber codes, because clinicians may fear judgement. Ask your committee whether record review needs consent.

11. Dental age: testing Pakistani tables on older adolescents

An Aga Khan University study of 882 panoramic radiographs of children aged 7 to 14 found that Demirjian’s method over-predicted age. It produced a separate table for Pakistani children (Sukhia and colleagues). A later study of orthodontic patients aged 8 to 16.9 found Willems’ method the most valid (Aga Khan University). Neither range reaches 17 or 18.

A thesis could test both on an independent sample from Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Use only radiographs with a verified birth date, and report the mean absolute error for each year of age. Archived orthodontic panoramic films are the practical source. Exclude patients with conditions that affect tooth development, and state that rule in advance.

12. Testing an AI caries detector on photographs from another hospital

An Aga Khan University team trained a smartphone model on 7,465 intraoral photographs. On 70 test photographs it reached 85.6% sensitivity, against 64.1% for junior dentists (Scientific Reports). A later paper compared multimodal language models with a custom network on only 22 occlusal images (BMC Oral Health 2026). Small test sets like these leave room for external validation.

Collect consented photographs at a second hospital, using different phones. Have two calibrated dentists mark decay, then test the model against their marks. Report sensitivity and specificity by surface, with confidence intervals. Ask the authors whether the model is shared. Computer science students can pair with a dental supervisor and use computer science thesis topics for the modelling side.

Ethics and permissions for dental projects

Children need parental consent and their own assent, plus permission from the school head. Radiographs should be archived or clinically indicated, so ask your committee before anyone is exposed for research alone. CPSP’s dissertation rules address patient photographs, so read that clause before you include any. Registry data needs a written request to the registry head, and the terms may limit what you can publish. UHS wants the committee certificate attached to the synopsis, so ask early how often your committee meets.

How to narrow a dental idea in five steps

1. Name one population and one setting, such as 12-year-olds in one tehsil.
2. Search what exists. UHS agendas, the HEC research repository and Pakistani dental journals show what is already done.
3. Choose the design with care, using how to choose a research methodology, and fix one named index or criteria set.
4. Work out the sample. The Quetta team assumed 65% fluorosis and a 5% margin of error, which gave 349 children.
5. Write the synopsis with how to write a research proposal open beside you, and check how a synopsis differs from a proposal if your university uses that word.

Mistakes that sink dental theses

First, students pick a whole specialty, such as “periodontal disease in Pakistan”. One setting and one outcome can be finished. Second, many copy a comparison that UHS has already approved. Third, the operator reads their own radiographs, so bias creeps in. Finally, people ignore dropout. The Dow trial kept about half of its patients at six months, so plan for loss from the start.

Questions students ask

Which of these topics suit a BDS project rather than an MDS thesis?

Topics 1, 4 and 10 work at one site with simple tools, so they suit a supervised BDS project if your college allows one. Topics 3, 7, 8 and 9 need clinical follow-up or laboratory access, so they fit MDS or FCPS better. Your department sets the final rules.

Can I run a school-based study without a clinic?

Yes, for topics such as fluorosis and dental fear. You need permission from the school head, parental consent and a quiet room with good light for examination. Calibrate yourself against a supervisor before you start, because examiner drift weakens survey data.

How do I check that my comparison has not been approved already?

Open the public UHS synopsis agendas for your specialty and search the materials you plan to compare. Then check the HEC repository and recent issues of Pakistani dental journals. If a close match exists, change the population, the outcome or the follow-up period.

Where to go next

Pick two ideas, test each against the five steps, and take your shortlist to your supervisor. Many of these studies also fit a short paper later, as explained in turning a thesis into a journal paper. Students in other fields can start from the thesis topics overview. If you want a second reader on your synopsis or analysis plan, send your topic, level and deadline through the order form. The support is meant for reference and learning, so use it according to your institution’s policy.