Reimagining Dental Education: Consensus Recommendations for Innovation, Technology Integration, and Practice Transformation

With advances in technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and evolving practice landscapes, dental schools are at a critical juncture to develop the next generation of technology-adept and practice-ready oral health professionals. Major challenges include limited technology literacy and integration, and the need to prepare new graduates to thrive within a rapidly evolving practice environment.

To develop consensus recommendations on how dental education can integrate technology and innovation, and prepare the next generation to be practice ready in a myriad of practice settings.

At the 2026 Reimagining Dental Education Summit held at Harvard University, eight academic and organization leaders, including two working group Co-Chairs and a Summit Scholar, reviewed evidence and participated in three future-back facilitated discussion sessions. Consensus required unanimous agreement by all working group members and recommendations were proposed and refined through a final report-out process.

To address technology and AI implementation, the working group recommended: (1) creation of an AI and technology curriculum across all levels of dental education, (2) creation of a dedicated leadership role to develop integration strategies for AI and emerging technologies, and (3) deployment of AI to improve institutional effectiveness, faculty calibration, patient care, and student learning. To address practice readiness, the working group recommended: (1) development of pathways to reduce time toward obtaining a dental degree, (2) creation of pathways to enhance practice readiness through external clinical experiences, (3) creation of additional postgraduate residency opportunities with incentives.

Dental education is positioned to further prepare graduates to embrace evolving practice realities through a solutions-oriented skill set that includes AI-literacy, innovation, integration of emerging technologies, and real-world clinical experience. Coordinated action across institutions and sectors is essential to translating these recommendations into practice and to make a meaningful impact on society.