
Profiles
Professor Steve Creanor
Emeritus Professor
Faculty of Health
Biography
Biography
Emeritus Clinical Professor
Steve was appointed the inaugural Director of Undergraduate Dental Studies and Professor of Oral Sciences at Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry in November 2006. He was born in a small mining village just outside Edinburgh and graduated in dentistry from the University of Glasgow in 1980, thereafter taking up house officer, resident senior house officer and registrar jobs in oral and maxillofacial surgery. He was awarded a scholarship with Unilever where he went on to gain a PhD in Oral Medicine and Pathology in 1987.
As part of his research project, he was one of two principal examiners involved in what was at that time the largest dental epidemiological survey of its kind, and involved the clinical and radiographic examination of over 3,000 school children in and around Glasgow. Throughout that 3-year period, Steve opted also to spend 2 sessions per week in general dental practice. He was appointed to a Clinical Lectureship in Oral Sciences in Glasgow in 1987 and was promoted to Clinical Senior Lecturer in 1990, where he remained before being appointed to Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry in 2006.
Steve’s main teaching interests were in clinical oral biology, where he was involved in the teaching of the human dental tissues, both hard and soft, as well as saliva, salivary glands, caries and dental erosion. Steve is the editor of a new dentistry textbook, which was published in April 2016, for undergraduate and postgraduate students in dentistry, within the Wiley-Blackwell Essentials Series – the first undergraduate textbook of its type within undergraduate dentistry or medicine – entitled Essential Clinical Oral Biology.
Steve still referees for a number of high profile dental journals, as well as for the Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust and the National Institute for Health Services Research.
He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK), a Member of the Faculty of General Dental Practice at the Royal College of Surgeons (Eng) and has a regular invited entry in Who’s Who in the World 2011. Steve has supervised 6 PhD’s and 14 MSc’s Higher Degree Research Projects and has over 150 publications – ranging from refereed scientific papers, books, book chapters, reviews and refereed published abstracts of national and international research meetings. Steve’s research interests were in dental erosion and dental caries and he continues to have an interest in fluoride’s influence on caries dynamics.
Outside academia, Steve is an accomplished musician, majoring in piano and guitar and as a student competed nationally and internationally at 100 and 200 metres. He also trained with the national table tennis team and, following an opportunity to play junior football which he turned down, he is a fully qualified Scottish Football Association referee. A self-confessed petrol-head, Steve enjoys cars and driving and is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motoring.
Qualifications
Bachelor of Dental Surgery (University of Glasgow) BDS (Glasg)
Fellowship in Dental Surgery Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Glasgow) FDS RCPS (Glasg)
Member of the Faculty of General Dental Practice Royal College of Surgeons (Eng) MFGDP (UK)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) FHEA (UK)
Doctor of Philosophy (University of Glasgow) PhD (Glasg)
House Surgeon, Glasgow Dental Hospital
Senior House Surgeon/Registrar, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow
Unilever Research Fellow, University of Glasgow
Clinical Lecturer, University of Glasgow Dental School
Clinical Senior Lecturer (promoted), University of Glasgow Dental School
Director of Undergraduate Dental Studies and Clinical Professor of Oral Sciences, Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry, Plymouth University
Clinical Professor of Oral Sciences, Peninsula Schools of Medicine & Dentistry, Plymouth University
Professional membership
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy - FHEA
Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons (Glasgow) FDS RCPS (Glasg)
Member of the Faculty of General Dental Practice at the Royal College of Surgeons (Eng) (UK) - MFGDP (UK) RCS (Eng)
International Association for Dental Research - IADR
British Society for Oral and Dental Research - BSODR
Roles on external bodies
External Assessor, BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy, Glasgow Caledonian University
External Assessor, BDS Programme, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya
(Former) External Examiner, BDS1 Programme, University of Glasgow Dental School, University of Glasgow
(Former) External Examiner, Dental Science Programme, Dublin Dental School, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin
(Former) External Examiner, Postgraduate Programme in Oral Biology, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London
Member, Expert Panel, 7th Edition of The Scientific Basis of Oral Health Education
Referee, Medical Research Council
Referee, Wellcome Foundation
Referee, National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
Referee, United Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
Consultant, Advertising Standards Authority, London
Advisor, British Dental Health Foundation
Member, Editorial Board, The World Scientific Journal
Advisor, Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research (WOTRO)
Consultant, Several Industrial Companies
Key publications
Teaching
Teaching
Teaching interests
I was involved in the following subject areas:
• the tissues of the human dentition
• the tissues of the healthy periodontium
• the scientific basis of dental caries
• the scientific basis of dental erosion
• the biochemistry of fluoride and its role in oral disease prevention
• the microbiology of the oral environment
Staff serving as external examiners
2018 BSc Dental Hygiene and Therapy, Glasgow Caledonian University
2014 - 2018 BDS1 Programme, University of Glasgow Dental School, University of Glasgow
2012 Dental Science Programme, Dublin Dental School, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin
2011 BDS Programme, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya
2009 - 2014 Postgraduate Programme in Oral Biology, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London
2005 MSc thesis entitled: Analysis of the tongue dorsum microflora in subjects with and without halitosis
2004 MSc thesis entitled: The role of the dental practitioner in child protection
2002 MSc thesis entitled: An assessment of restoration microleakage in vitro following three-body wear
1999 PhD thesis entitled: Factors affecting the remineralisation and demineralisation behaviour of human enamel under conditions of oscillating pH
1997 PhD thesis entitled: An investigation of the wear of human enamel and dental ceramics
1995 PhD thesis entitled: Evaluation of adjunctive and alternative techniques in periodontal therapy
1995 PhD thesis entitled: The vitality assessment of traumatised permanent anterior teeth using laser Doppler flowmetry
Research
Research
Research interests
H Index = 17
The role of fluoride in reducing dental decay
Methods of caries diagnosis
The mechanisms of dental erosion and its prevention
The biochemistry of human saliva
The fluoride-releasing characteristics of dental glass ionomer cements
Other research
Dental education - the scientific basis
Research degrees awarded to supervised students
PhD projects supervised:
In vitro studies of the role of sebaceous glands in salivary gland disease
Jonathan Davies; current postgraduate student
In vitro studies into the permeability of human dentine
Taher O Elgalaid; graduated 2006
In vitro investigation of dental erosion in dental enamel
Nutayla Alharthy; graduated 2005
The influence of salivary factors on dental erosion
Maura Edwards; graduated 2000
The interaction of pulsed Nd:YAG laser irradiation with human enamel
Helen Louise Dobson; graduated 1997
Removal of dental caries using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser - in vitro and in vivo
Ghassem Ansari; graduated 1996
The influence of saliva on the dynamics of the early enamel lesion
Andrew Fraser Hall; graduated 1994
MSc projects supervised:
Composite muscle flap and BMP-7 for mandibular reconstruction in sheep
Challa Sri Rama Reddy; graduated 2004
In vitro and in situ investigations of dental erosion
Manar Elkhazindar; graduated 2002
An in vitro comparison of three orthodontic band cements
Gavin Robert Caves; graduated 2000
Does Fuji Ortho LC prevent enamel decalcification in vitro and in vivo?
Anita M Corry; graduated 2000
An in vitro comparison of two orthodontic band cements
Toby Jonathan Gillgrass; graduated 1998
Fluoride release from orthodontic bonding agents-the development of an in vitro model
Vivien L Monteith; graduated 1997
Artificial caries-like lesions analysed by the optical caries monitor. An in vitro investigation
Nikolas Wilhelm; graduated 1996
The effect of fluoride-releasing restorative materials on the progression of carious wall lesions in dentine.
Lama Adel Awawdeh; graduated 1996
Fluoride release and uptake from resin-modified glass ionomer cements used for orthodontic purposes - an in vivo investigation
Chor K Chung; graduated 1996
The effect of partial dentures on periodontal health
Saeed Ali Bakheet Tabook; graduated 1994
The use of an optical probe to monitor changes in enamel surface mineralisation. In vitro and in vivo investigations
Norlian Bte Hj. Daud; graduated 1994
The influence of fluoride-releasing composites in the development of white spot lesions near orthodontic brackets: a clinical study
Noraini Bte. Haji Alwi; graduated 1992
The influence of fluoride-releasing bonding composites in the development of artificial white spot lesions - an in vitro study
Sarah Haniza Abdul Ghani; graduated 1992
Grants & contracts
£157,987 Co-investigator - An award from the NHS National Primary Dental Care Research & Development Programme for a study entitled:
The prevention of dental caries by intensive oral health counselling in general dental practice
£144,642 Co-investigator - An award from the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) for a study entitled:
Application of novel optical techniques for early detection of dental decay
£229,800 Principal Investigator - Awards from Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company (USA) for a study entitled:
What is the association between mineral deposition within porous human enamel and increased salivary flow in humans? - an in situ study
£56,000 Co-investigator - An award from the Procter and Gamble Company for a study entitled:
The characterisation of the microbiological species associated with early enamel caries - an in situ study
£38,312 Principal investigator - An award from the Scottish Office Home & Health Department for a study entitled:
Investigation of the role of fluoride release and uptake from glass ionomer restorative materials in caries prevention
£96,000 Co-investigator - An award from the Scottish Office Home & Health Department for a study entitled:
An evaluation of the use of a Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser in Dentistry
Publications
Publications
Key publications
Key publications are highlighted
JournalsPersonal
Personal
Additional information
Invited entry:
Who's Who in the World 2011
Contributor:
BBC Radio 4 – The Influence of Industrial Funding on University Research
BBC Watchdog Heath check – Do Irn Bru bars cause dental erosion?
Radio 1 – News Sound beat – The Influence of Fruit Juices on Dental Erosion
BBC 1 News – Fruit Juices and Dental Erosion
ITV 1 News – Fruit Juices and Dental Erosion