Ronald L. Sakaguchi, DDS, MS, PhD, MBA

Areas of Interest

• Thermomechanical behavior of polymer matrix composites
• Implementing digital resources for education and research 
• Improving consumer behavior through activation
• Enhancing critical thinking, research, and evidence based decisions in the curriculum
• Design thinking for innovation
• Strategic opportunity assessment and planning

Previous Positions

Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

July 1984 - July 1994
Associate Professor

Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine

July 1980 - July 1982
Assistant Professor of Surgery

Education

Babson College, Wellesley, MA

MBA in Entrepreneurship, summa cum laude, 2008

University of Greenwich, London, England

PhD, Biophysical and Numerical Analysis, 1988

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN  

MS, Dentistry (Prosthodontics), 1984   

Northwestern University Dental School  

DDS, 1980

University of California Los Angeles  

BS, Cybernetics (biomedical engineering), 1976

Research Interests

Numerical modeling of thermomechanical behavior of polymer matrix composites

Activation for improving oral health behaviors

Selected Recent Publications

Sakaguchi RL. Facilitating preceptor and student communication in a dental school teaching clinic. J Dent Educ 2010 74:36-42.

Musanje L, Ferracane JL, Sakaguchi RL. Determination of the optimal photoinitiator concentration in dental composites based on essential material properties. Dent Mater 2009 25(8):994-1000.

Yamamoto T, Ferracane JL, Sakaguchi RL. Calculation of contraction stresses in dental composites by analysis of crack propagation in the matrix surrounding a cavity. Dent Mater 2009 25(4):543-50.

Schneider LFJ, Consani S, Sakaguchi RL, Ferracane JL. Alternative photoinitiator system reduces the rate of stress development without compromising the final properties of the dental composite. Dent Mater 2009 25(5):566-72.

Pfeifer CS, Ferracane JL, Sakaguchi RL, Braga RR. Factors affecting photopolymerization stress in dental composites. J Dent Res 2008 87(11):1043-7.

Pfeifer C, Braga R, Ferracane JL, Sakaguchi RL. Polymerization stress determinants in composites with different photoinitiator content. Am J Dent 2009 22(4):206-10.

RL Sakaguchi. Mind Map: Summary of POCOS 2004, Portland Composites Symposium. Dent Mater. 2005 Jan;21(1):7-8.

RL Sakaguchi. Review of the current status and challenges for dental posterior restorative composites: clinical, chemistry, and physical behaviour considerations. Dental Materials 2005 Jan;21(1):3-6.

Sakaguchi RL, Wiltbank BD, Murchison CF. Contraction force rate of polymer composites is linearly correlated with irradiance. Dent Mater. 2004 May;20(4):402-7.

Sakaguchi RL, Wiltbank BD, Murchison CF. Prediction of composite elastic modulus and polymerization shrinkage by computational micromechanics. Dent Mater. 2004 May;20(4):397-401.

Sakaguchi RL, Wiltbank BD, Shah NC. Critical configuration analysis of four methods for measuring polymerization shrinkage strain of composites. Dent Mater. 2004 May;20(4):388-96.

Lee JK, Choi JY, Lim BS, Lee YK, Sakaguchi RL. Change of properties during storage of a UDMA/TEGDMA dental resin. J Biomed Mater Res. 2004 Feb 15;68B(2):216-21.

Vandewalle KS, Ferracane JL, Hilton TJ, Erickson RL, Sakaguchi RL. Effect of energy density on properties and marginal integrity of posterior resin composite restorations. Dent Mater. 2004 Jan;20(1):96-106.