Volume 7 • 2020 • Issue 7

My suspicion is that cost and the learning curve for using new technologies plays an important role in one’s decision. Patient pressure, where new technologies may be deemed to be a measure of the quality of the dentistry, must also be considered and can influence the speed of adoption. I also suspect that technologies integrated into the dental curriculum become those most often used in clinical practice. However, this too is complicated because of the cost and learning curve of integrating the technologies as well as the potential, or real, reluctance of clinical faculty to change from their normal practices. Q In your article, you talk about new technologies that may be the next disruptors for dentistry. Which one are you most excited about? DR: One technology that I find particularly exciting is teledentistry. While some areas are rich in clinical care opportunities, there are a host of geographic areas that have very few caregivers compared to their population. Similarly, some people have difficulty traveling to a clinic. For instance, those in long-term care homes, workers on oil rigs, researchers in Antarctica, sailors, prisoners, etc. Teledentistry can be critically important for these people. While the full scope of dentistry may not be feasible for these groups, this technology permits distance- based evaluation of clinical conditions and symptoms. Further, because at least some data can be transferred digitally, less-than-ideally trained personnel could be guided through virtual communication to deliver at least some level of care. Finally, of course, teledentistry provides a platform for distance-based evaluation of conditions so that only those with difficulty traveling need to do so only in urgent situations requiring a full-scope clinical setting. Having said this, as we have seen with CAD/CAM systems enabling new materials development and utilization, the potential for new technologies to have an impact is very exciting and can catalyze new complementary technology. What is possible is probably limited only by our imagination. Reference 1. Rekow E. Digital dentistry: The new state of the art — Is it disruptive or destructive? Dent Mater 2020; 36(1):9-24. doi: 10.1016/j.dental.2019.08.103. Epub 2019 Sep 14. Dianne Rekow, DDS, PhD, is professor emeritus and former executive dean of King’s College London Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences. Previously, she held research and administrative positions at New York University over a 10-year period, including serving as provost of Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute during its merger to become New York University’s Tandon School of Engineering. Dr. Rekow has served as president of both the International and American Associations for Dental Research (IADR/AADR). I ssues and P eople 26 | 2020 | Issue 7