[5] She subsequently earned her Doctor of Odontology from the University of Helsinki in 1975 with research on cleft lip and palate.
[6] From 1976 until 1978, Thesleff was a visiting associate at the National Institute of Dental Research in Bethesda, Maryland.
Thesleff's work is in mammalian organs, and she is best known for studies on tissue interactions regulating tooth formation.
[12] Thesleff received the Anders Jahres Award for Medical Research from University of Oslo in 1999.
[13] In 2008, she received the Isaac Shour Memorial Award from the International Association for Dental Research.