A PhD (Philosophiae Doctor in Latin) is the highest academic degree, earned after several years of research and investigation on a specific topic to obtain a doctorate.
Dr. Joe Merheb defended his thesis on June 5th in Leuven, a charming city in the Flemish region of Belgium, home to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL). KUL is the oldest and most prestigious university in the Benelux, founded in 1425, and hosts nearly 50,000 students, researchers, and faculty members. For the occasion, Dr. Joe Merheb was accompanied and supported by a strong Ardentis team of 17 people, who enjoyed two wonderful days between Leuven and Brussels.
The title of the PhD is “Jaw bone characteristics and their influence on dental implant therapy outcome”, conducted under the guidance of Professor Marc Quirynen, head of the Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology, and author of more than 330 scientific publications. Dr. Joe Merheb worked on this doctorate for 8 years—initially alongside his training in periodontology and implantology, and later while practicing at Ardentis dental clinics.
“Implant therapy is a topic we face daily at Ardentis. This doctorate specifically addresses the influence of bone on implant therapy outcomes. Understanding bone and its properties could help predict certain measures of treatment success, enabling better planning, adjustment, and execution of implant treatments. Both the treating team and patients benefit greatly from this,” explained Dr. Joe Merheb.
