Dental education and practice: past, present, and future trends

Area of Science:

• Dental Education and Practice
• Healthcare Trends
• Future of Dentistry

Background:

• The landscape of dental education and practice is at a critical juncture, particularly post-COVID-19.
• Key drivers include escalating educational costs, the laicization of dental care, increased corporatization, and rapid technological advancements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore historical transitions and current trends in dental education and practice.
• To predict the future trajectory of the dental field based on identified forces.

Main Methods:

• This is a position paper, synthesizing existing trends and expert opinion.
• Analysis of fundamental forces impacting dental education and practice.

Main Results:

• Future dental education will be individualized, competency-based, and hybrid (asynchronous, virtual, face-to-face), with flexible entry/exit points.
• Dental practice will adopt a hybrid model, incorporating both in-person and virtual patient care.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to enhance efficiency in diagnosis, treatment planning, and practice management.

Conclusions:

• The dental field is undergoing significant transformation, necessitating adaptive educational and practice models.
• Technological integration, particularly AI, will be central to future dental care delivery and administration.
• The future dental professional will need to navigate a hybrid environment of both physical and virtual patient interactions.