What Could the Future of Dentistry Hold?

Over the last fifty years or so, dentistry has made stunning advances in what it’s capable of. The rise in popularity of cosmetic dentistry, dental implants, and intraoral imaging have all dramatically changed the way that oral healthcare looks and feels.

It’s enough to make you wonder what the next fifty years could hold for this field, or even the next ten! While nothing is certain, here’s some speculation as to what the future of dentistry may hold.

Orthodontics and Dental Implants

As was mentioned, dental implants have become extraordinarily popular among both dentists and patients in the last 50 years. As practitioners learn more about the placement of these implants and patients continue to demand them, it’s possible that some of the lesser-utilized styles of orthodontic implants could become more common.

These are much smaller than traditional implants and are used as an anchor point to move problematic teeth in unique ways. As dental technology advances, the cost and healing time associated with implants might fall, leading to these solutions becoming more popular.

The Influence of COVID-19

As with every medical field, dentistry changed a lot over the course of the pandemic. Even the most old-fashioned practices were forced to consider teledentistry and online scheduling for their appointments, and while some of those changes have reverted since, not all of them have.

However, this is far from the only way that COVID affected the field; the pandemic was difficult for dental professionals, with many of them pursuing other careers as a result. In the coming years, dentistry as a whole will need to address this labor imbalance if it wants to meet patient demand.

3D Printed Everything

For a long time, dentists have had to design prosthetics for patients and wait weeks for an external lab to construct them to meet their specifications. However, 3D printing could change that in the not-too-far-future.

A recent study conducted by the ADA found that 50% of dentists expected 3D printing to usher in technological improvements in the field of dentistry over the next few years. If they’re right, a world of “same day dentures” might not be far off!

About the Author

Dr. Mahima Gupta always finds it enormously rewarding to learn more about her field, not just because she finds the work of dentistry engrossing, but because she’ll then be able to share her newfound skills with her patients. The more that she learns, the better the care she provides becomes! Dr. Gupta received her degree from the New York University College of Dentistry. She has completed over 700 hours of continuing education, earning the rare status of “Fellow” from the Academy of General Dentistry.

If you have any questions about the future of dentistry, she can be reached at her website or by phone at (469) 729-7707.