Harnessing Nature for Dental and Oral Health

As a child, Dendy Murdiyanto wasn’t one to sit still with books for long. He was more interested in objects he could take apart and reassemble. Broken radios and worn-out fans often became his experimental targets.

In the 1980s, when computers were still a rare item in most households, Dendy asked to join a computer course. He ended up being the youngest student in the class. “All my classmates were adults, I was the only little kid,” joked Dendy Murdiyanto on Wednesday (30/4/2025).

Dendy grew up in a family where most members were teachers. However, his parents never once forced him to become an educator. “My father and mother knew I had my own interests,” he explained.

Most boys of his age at the time dreamed of becoming engineers. So, after graduating from high school, he enrolled in the Architecture Engineering program at Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS). “Back then, it was kind of the norm for boys to go into engineering, right?” said the Klaten-born man, affirming the sentiment he often heard.

After completing a year of engineering studies, he began to feel restless. He longed for the humanistic side of knowledge.

Dendy then shifted gears and enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). “I think dentistry combines elements of engineering, art, and biology, and it allows me to interact with living beings. It’s a perfect fit for me!” he admitted.

drg. Dendy Murdiyanto, M.DSc. UMS PR/Imam Safii

After earning his bachelor's degree, Dendy fulfilled his service obligation as a general dentist at a community health center (puskesmas) in South Kalimantan. The remote and isolated location taught him valuable lessons about fieldwork.

“I worked as a clinical dentist for over a year. But as I got deeper into it, I realized I was more drawn to research and the development of dental technology,” he said.

After much consideration, Dendy joined Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta (UMS) in 2008. At the time, the Faculty of Dentistry (FKG) had not yet been established. He began his academic career at the Faculty of Medicine, serving as head of the anatomy lab.

“When UMS began laying the groundwork for the FKG, I was part of the team that drafted the initial proposal. Once the faculty was officially founded, I transferred my academic base to FKG and became head of its lab,” he recalled. Amid his administrative responsibilities, Dendy pursued a master’s degree at UGM, choosing Master of Dental Sciences. It was there that he began conducting in-depth research on dental biomaterials.

“Indonesia is rich in natural resources. But nearly all dental materials we use are imported,” said the Dean of UMS Faculty of Dentistry. This includes everything from filling materials and toothpaste to materials used for making dentures. As a result, dental practice in Indonesia remains heavily dependent on imported supplies.

This dependency became even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. Global supply chains were disrupted, prices soared, and shipments were delayed. “At that time, many dental and oral health practices struggled. With materials not arriving, we were practically paralyzed for quite a while,” Dendy explained.

According to the 2023 report by the Indonesian Ministry of Health, around 70 percent of medical supplies and equipment are still sourced from abroad. This includes dental instruments and materials.

Motivated by this challenge, Dendy became actively involved in researching local materials with potential to address various medical needs. One of his most notable research projects was the formulation of a toothpaste made from butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea). Over a two-year period, he and his team tested the ethanol extract of the flower against Streptococcus mutans (a major cause of tooth decay) and Candida albicans (a fungus responsible for oral infections).

Read more: Flower Power for Bright Smile: Butterfly Pea Toothpaste

The results were promising. The butterfly pea flower toothpaste was found to be not only an effective cleanser but also a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent.

Dendy successfully published this research in a Scopus-indexed journal, and the product is now approaching commercialization. “It’s already in the final stages. We’re hoping it can enter the market soon,” he said.

In 2022, Dendy also explored the potential of ethanol extract from garlic (Allium sativum L.) as a solvent in alginate impression material on its ability to inhibit microbial growth. Alginate is commonly used in dentistry for creating dental impressions.

Since alginate often comes into contact with blood, saliva, and dental plaque, it carries a risk of harboring pathogenic microorganisms such as Candida albicans, which can cause oral infections like candidiasis.

“What’s interesting is that garlic is easy to obtain. Garlic solution also holds the potential to inhibit cross-infection between patients and dentists,” he explained.

The main compound Dendy investigated in garlic is allicin, an active agent with known antifungal and antibacterial properties. After a series of laboratory tests, the results showed that a high concentration of garlic extract effectively suppressed the growth of cellular chains forming the structural base of fungal organisms.

Dendy’s persistence in research has earned him two patents related to the use of natural ingredients in dentistry. In addition, he holds several copyrights for learning modules and innovative tech-based teaching methods.

“Research must be grounded in real-world needs,” he emphasized. “Indonesia is rich in biodiversity, yet very little of it is explored for applied research in dental science.”

Dendy is determined to make the Faculty of Dentistry at UMS a leader in this transformation. Under his leadership, the faculty has adopted a vision to become a center for the development of natural-based materials in dentistry.

Outside his academic responsibilities, drg. Dendy Murdiyanto, MDSc. is also actively involved in professional organizations. He is a member of the Ikatan Peminat Material Kedokteran Gigi Indonesia (IPAMAGI) and the Forum Komunikasi Kedokteran Gigi Islam. Through these networks, he forges cross-institutional collaborations to strengthen natural-material research in dentistry.

Dendy is deeply committed to cultivating a research culture among dental students from the outset of their studies. He’s aware that not all students are inclined to pursue research, and he respects that. 

“Becoming a clinician is a noble choice,” he acknowledged. “But if everyone becomes a clinician, who will research the materials we need for treatment?”

His expression grows serious. With furrowed brows and steady conviction, Dendy emphasized his mission: to support self-reliance in medical materials through Indonesia’s own biodiversity, especially in today’s strained economic conditions.

“If imported materials are too expensive or unavailable, we’re unable to work. But if we have something growing in our own backyard, why should we depend on foreign products?” he concluded.

Writer: Genis Dwi Gustati

Translator: Farizal Luqman Majid

Editor: Al Habiib Josy Asheva