Bringing a Final Degree Project to completion requires perseverance, dedication, and considerable effort. However, successfully completing it is always deeply rewarding—especially when the effort is recognized with a distinction like the IVIO Chair Award for Best Final Degree Project in Dental Technology at Campus Gandia of the Universitat Politècnica de València. Fernando Agustí Martí, a Dentistry graduate from the University of Valencia, was honored with this year’s award.
This year’s winner discovered his passion for dentistry within his family, inspired by his mother—also a dentist—whom he has always admired for her dedication to both her profession and her patients. “Being raised in that setting made me deeply aware of the significance of oral health and its broader psychological implications,” Agustí explains.
His expectations were met from the very start of his studies at the University of Valencia, where he felt the five years of studies passed in the blink of an eye. He emphasizes the empathy and unwavering dedication of all his colleagues, along with the valuable clinical experience that enabled him to discover early on just how rewarding a career in dentistry can be.
In selecting his research topic, he decided to concentrate on technology in dentistry, fully aware that technological innovation is key to the future of the field. Only after finishing the project did he fully appreciate the magnitude of the results, which has motivated him to explore new research avenues.
He regards the Chair’s Best Final Project Award as a testament to the hard work he dedicated to his project. He says, “This award means a lot to me—it motivates me to keep learning, perfecting, and giving back to dentistry through the expertise I’ve built up over time.” He wishes to share this recognition with special thanks to Ana Martínez Orellana, an orthodontist from the University of Valencia, as well as to his thesis supervisors, Dr. Vanessa Paredes Gallardo and Dr. Verónica García Sanz, without whose invaluable guidance and support she believes this achievement would not have been possible.
Building on the success of his academic project, he now aims to complete a Master’s Degree in Orthodontics at the University of Valencia and to further develop his professional career in the field. All of this is aimed at combining clinical practice with research and continuous training to remain at the forefront of developments in the field.
Patient scan performed in the clinic by Fernando Agustí Martí, as part of the research for his Final Degree Project.
A Final Degree Project Aimed at Supporting People with Congenital Malformations
Agustí’s project, titled “Study of the Craniofacial and Intraoral Morphology of Patients with Cleft Lip and/or Palate Using 3D Analysis Tools”,f ocused on analyzing the craniofacial and intraoral structures of patients with cleft lip and/or palate—commonly referred to as cleft conditions—through the use of advanced three-dimensional imaging techniques. Specifically, he analyzed cranial dimensions through cephalometric tracings, intraoral morphology using 3D digital models, and facial features and symmetry through 3D facial photography. In addition, the results were compared with those of a control group, with differences across all evaluated parameters analyzed by sex.
Among the key findings of the research were the presence of maxillary hypoplasia (underdevelopment of the upper jaw) and a pronounced dolichofacial pattern (characterized by a vertically elongated facial structure) in the patients studied, with no evidence of displacement or posterior inclination of the mandible or maxilla. In patients with clefts, a lingual inclination of the lower incisors was observed, along with increased width and asymmetry of the alar base—the lower part of the nose.
VII Award for the Best Bachelor’s or Master’s Thesis – IVIO-UPV Chair
There are now seven recipients of the Best Bachelor’s or Master’s Thesis Award from the IVIO-UPV Chair. This distinction has represented a significant academic and professional opportunity, as it has brought visibility to projects with a technological approach applied to dentistry, serving as a bridge to new research, collaborations, job opportunities, and even entrepreneurial ventures.
Previous Award Recipients:
For more information and inquiries on the iViO-UPV Chair research projects, you can write to Francisco Camarena, research professor at Campus Gandia UPV, at: fracafe@fis.upv.es.
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