Evolution of dentistry is ever accelerating with new technology and development. It may be hard to pin-point exactly when and how the future will change in the dental industry, but it is important to still have a brief idea as to the possible trajectories each field may take in the near future (10-20 years). Throughout this article, I will go through a multitude of specialties to explain where the future for each specialty lies whilst taking a look at the past advances for further context. Technology has been growing rapidly at a near exponential increase which means changes to the workspace can happen a lot quicker than one may assume.

DDS / GP / General Dentist

Diagnostics: As a GP, diagnostics will be completely different in the future and artificial technology will do most of the diagnostics for a patient such as spotting caries in x-rays. AI in the future will be much more advanced and accessible to clinics to diagnose patients. This means that diagnosis, one of the most inaccurate parts of dentistry, will become consistently valid and precise. This leads to greater efficiency in the workday as AI can easily diagnose a patient with tremendous speed. Additionally, patients will be better off with more relevant treatment plans.

Orthodontal treatment: However, the type of care a GP will be providing will most definitely alter in the future. One way GP dentists will differ is the service of orthodontics. Yes, in the future, there is a high likelihood a large proportion of GPs will provide orthodontic treatments as well. How is that possible? Currently there are a small percentage of GPs who offer aligner-based orthodontic restorations, as it is a relatively straight-forward treatment plan. With aligner-based orthodontic treatment, most of the analysis and planning is done by the big corporations through AI tools. For example, SmartTrack and SmartForce are technologies patented by Invisalign that analyse the impression and can calculate the best route to take for the patient.

Holistic dentistry: There is also a slow and steady rise in popularity of holistic dentistry amongst GPs, as of recent. It seems like one area of focus for a GP in the future would be to take a look outside the box that is their patients’ teeth to focus on the patient as a whole. The merging between dentistry, the wider healthcare industry and lifestyle will be a radical change for both the dentist but also for the patient. The correlation between the body and the mouth, in regard to holistic dentistry, needs an article for itself too because it is such a vastly undiscovered space in the middle of a vein diagram that we will soon be exploring in greater detail.

Orthodontics

History: In 1847, bands in the form of clamps were invented by Jay Malibu Alexis Sean J. These band types were revolutionary to the orthodontics industry and were much more popular than the plain bands for a very long time. In the early 1900s braces became a well-known tool for orthodontic treatment but were expensive and difficult to deal with so not many people used them. Since then, they grew to become the most popular means of orthodontic treatment. Into the new millennia, there was an introduction to a whole new array of ideas and replacements for the now dominant braces concept. In 2001, Invisalign became public with a valuation of $1 billion. Aligners only grew in popularity from then and is now one of the main ways orthodontists treat cases.

Aligners: It is clear that aligners are the future, but could they also be the end for orthodontists? As mentioned previously, more and more GPs have been using aligners and have been taking part in the orthodontic industry even without a specialty. Will there be a need for orthodontists anymore? In the foreseeable future, definitely! Although more GPs will be practicing with new orthodontic treatments, more difficult and complex patient cases will need a dentist with relevant specialties. The orthodontal industry is here to stay especially considering the rise in demand for orthodontic treatment.

Overall, the future of orthodontics is a bright one. Through better innovative AI systems, treatment will become faster, cheaper, easier and healthier. AI will not outright replace the jobs in this specialty but will aid in its effort to create the best smile.

Implantologist

By definition from Colgate, an implantologist is a dental expert or specialist who can perform a dental implant surgery. The implant industry accounted for a market share of $13 billion in 2023 and is expected to rise in the coming years. The future of implants is one that is very interesting and innovative. One of the main issues with implants is its risk of failure as a result of periimplantitis or in simpler terms: an inflammatory reaction. This reaction is destructive news for the patient as it can lead to infection and the implant being removed. However new technology has entered the market and is still in research and development as people start to look into smart implants as the new future technology to save the day. Using nanotechnology and smart materials, these new implants can resist bacterial growth and generate its own electricity when the patient is chewing or brushing. The electricity is used to power a light source in a process called phototherapy which uses light waves to treat skin conditions.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Oral and Maxillofacial surgery has already adapted tremendously to artificial intelligence advancements and have already been incorporating the new technology into all aspects of the specialty. Before the procedure even starts, AI will run its own diagnostics and use machine learning in simulations. However, in the future, it will not just be simulations that AI will run. AI controlled robots will be the cornerstone of each surgery with its near perfect accuracy and constant precision. To achieve this, the AI tools need to have more information than it currently possesses. Information that will allow it to understand motion economy of humans and use that to plan and set the surgery. Research areas have begun to put sensors on surgeons in surgery so to track their movements and let AI learn from them.  

Farbod Afrassiabi