Alexandria, VA, USA, September 19, 2022 – The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) today announced the publication of the first supplement to JDR Clinical & Translational Research (JDR CTR) entitled, “The Changing Face of Dentistry.” This special issue features Linda LeResche, University of Washington as Guest Editor and is available for viewing on the JDR CTR website.
The papers in this issue represent the final reports of four panels convened for the 2021 Arcora Distinguished Professorship in Dentistry Symposium at the University of Washington under the theme, “The Changing Face of Dentistry.” The papers provide a range of perspectives on broad social, economic, and technological trends that have implications for the future of dentistry, defined as including not only dental practice, but also dental education, organized dentistry, and dental research. Some common trends were identified in multiple groups, but the perspectives on these trends differed from group to group, and sometimes even among panel members in the same group.
In this Commentary, the author briefly summarizes and comments on the findings of each panel, then discusses and provides perspectives on seven common themes addressed by multiple groups, namely: acceleration of technological change; remote care/teledentistry; disparities and inequities in health and access to health care; the aging population and increased number of persons with multiple chronic conditions; convergence of data science, artificial intelligence and machine learning; integration of dental and medical primary care; and changing payment systems, including value-based care. Finally, the implications of these findings for translational research are discussed.
The broad scope of “The Changing Face of Dentistry” is reflected in the breadth of the four papers presented in this Special Issue. Anyone interested in the future of dentistry should be aware of the individual papers as each provides a compilation of trends. Taken as a whole, they paint a complex but surprisingly integrated picture of the potential future of the profession of dentistry, including numerous opportunities for substantial improvements in oral health. Clinical and translational research has an important role to play in developing the interventions and evidence base for these improvements.
About JDR Clinical & Translational Research
The JDR Clinical & Translational Research (JDR CTR) is a peer-reviewed, quarterly journal that encompasses all areas of clinical and translational research in the dental, oral and craniofacial sciences. Launched by IADR, JDR CTR provides a resource for clinicians, scientists, academics, researchers and policy makers across the entire spectrum of the dental community.
About the International Association for Dental Research
The International Association for Dental Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with over 9,000 individual members worldwide, with a mission to drive dental, oral and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide.
About the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) is a nonprofit organization with over 3,000 members in the United States with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research to advance health and well-being. AADOCR is the largest division of the IADR.