Dr Sema Belli

Dr Sema Belli graduated from Marmara University, Istanbul, Türkiye with DDS, and received her PhD degree in the Department of Operative Dentistry from Selçuk University, Konya, Türkiye. Her supervisor was Professor Fusun Özer. Dr Belli founded the Department of Endodontics in Faculty of Dentistry and worked as a chair for more than 10 years. She worked at Tokyo Medical and Dental University with Dr Junji Tagami, Dr Shigehisa Inokoshi and Dr Hidehiko Sano. During her stay in Tokyo, she had the chance to meet Dr Takao Fusayama and visit Dr Nobuo Nakabayashi in his own office. She had chance to collaborate with Dr Nikaido, Dr Shimada, Dr Otsuki, Dr Yamada, Dr Yoshikawa, Dr Nakaoki, Dr Ogata and Dr Perreira. Dr Belli learned the micro tensile test method in Japan and immediately after her return, she opened the first mechanical research laboratory in her faculty with the help of her colleagues from the dental school. Selçuk University, Dental Faculty laboratory was the first laboratory where micro tensile test could be carried out in Türkiye. She learned how to create fibre reinforced fixed partial dentures, polyethylene fibre build-ups and fibre splints directly from Dr Inokoshi by assisting him in TMDU Clinics. Dr Shigehisa Inokoshi introduced her to Dr Ray Bertolotti and Dr David Rudo.  She received her first Ribbond set directly from Dr Rudo during the 1998 IADR Meeting in Nice, France. That was an unforgettable moment for her.

Dr Belli worked with Dr H Pashley in the Medical College of Georgia, United States on adhesion of dental materials and bonding to the Endodontic surfaces. Dr Pashley helped her to have a micro tensile tester and fluid filtration test device for leakage studies to be used in her faculty research laboratory.  She had the chance to work with Dr Franklin Tay during her stay in the United States. Dr Pashley continuously helped Dr Belli with her laboratory needs and research. His tips and tricks about writing paper, carrying out research, preparing conferences and about life were always very much appreciated. Since then, hundreds of studies have been carried out in Selçuk University Dental Faculty and international articles have been published.

Dr Belli has published and lectured extensively on dental composites, adhesives, glass or polyethylene fibre-reinforcement restorations, conservative restoration of extensive cavities, restoration of endodontically treated teeth, post and core restorations, finite elemental stress analysis, bonding to the endodontic surfaces, biomimetic dentistry, stress reduced restorations of root-filled teeth (by using fibres) and biocompatibility of dental materials. She lectured about fibre-reinforced composite restorations during 2007 and 2011 European Society of Endodontics Meetings (ESE). These lectures were the first lectures about ‘Stress-reduced restorations by using fibres’ in ESE Meetings. She collaborated with Dr David Alleman, Dr Simon Deliperi, Dr Grant Chyz, Dr Wistasp Karbhari, Dr Gürcan Eskitaşcıoğlu, Dr Oğuz Eraslan, Dr Serhan Akman and Dr Sema S Hakki.

Dr Belli worked as a board member at Continental European Division of IADR (CED-IADR) (2017-2021) and organised workshops to the young researchers about ‘Tips and tricks for (Oral/Poster) presentations’ with Dr Imad About. She chaired and organised CED-IADR Awards during her duty. Dr Belli also worked as board member at the Turkish Endodontic Society and at Advanced Technologies Center of Selçuk University (İLTEK). She worked as ERASMUS Coordinator of Dental Faculty for more than 10 years. Now she is a full time professor in Faculty of Dentistry, Selçuk University and board member at Scientific Research Projects Center (BAP) of the University.

Selçuk University Dental Faculty is the first and only faculty that offers Biomimetic Restorative Dentistry Course to undergraduate students in Türkiye.