It is an exciting time on the cusp of future dentistry with a whole new approach being ushered in. Regenerative, sustainable dentistry: The evolving science is a big change in a new direction. Those terms ‘regenerative’ and ‘sustainable’ tell us about the biological ramifications of this new dentistry. This type of dentistry contrasts the current state of a reliance on non-biological fillings for caries and unsustainable dental practices. Dentistry has not evolved clinically for decades, unlike the vast shifts in many other areas of medical science and patient treatments. Some say that dentistry has been stuck in the dark ages for too long with extractions, fillings, and orthodontics using seriously outdated materials in the main.
Bioengineered & Natural New Approaches to Dentistry
Regenerative dentistry sounds very The Orville to me and I welcome the exciting breakthroughs finally being made in cutting edge dentistry. Utilising the body’s own biological processes to heal and regrow tissue is a better way forward. The regeneration of dental pulp tissue is a more natural and smarter approach to dentistry in the twenty first century. Bioengineering whole teeth is still currently out of reach but positive steps and understanding are moving in the right direction. The “repair and regeneration of dentine as a biological hard-tissue barrier; the repair of cementum; and the biological repair and regeneration of the periodontium” are all becoming realities for a new form of sustainable dentistry. (Paul, 2022)
The Old Dentist vs the New Dentistry
The old dentist, barber, surgeon who was handy with a pair of pliers is soon to be a thing of the past. The dentist who bunged cement in your mouth to fill holes in your teeth with artificial materials that were going to fall out is receding into the background of dental history. Unsustainable dental practices like expensive bridgework designed not to last will be another reminder of the bad old days of dentistry. However, how soon this happens depends upon the current crop of dentists and their guilds and associations. Embracing the future is down to dentists themselves and how willing they are to invest in the new dentistry.
Why Dentistry Hasn’t Changed over Decades
The fact that there has been so little innovation and break throughs in medical science in dentistry is down to dentists themselves. Sticking to the tried and true, even if it remains somewhat barbaric is, often, the safer route for many small businesses. Innovation and new therapeutic approaches can seem too risky and potentially expensive. Why change something if you are already on a good wicket in terms of making money and running a successful operation? Technology, however, usually wins out in the end. Human beings are enamoured of new technologies and flock to the novel if it contains a better way of doing things.
At the commercial end of dentistry, however, there seems to have been a coupling between social media influencers and dentists who provide cosmetic services for profound mutual benefit.
Switching on human repair forces within ourselves will catch on pretty quick, I guess, when this regenerative dentistry becomes available to the public. Regenerating cellular tissue will become hugely popular instead of relying on false teeth and other non-biological substances in dentistry. Greater patient education will be a vital part of this new transformation in the oral health of human beings. The dental industry will require leadership from professional bodies and governments to make this great leap forward. Bring it on, I say, the sooner the better. Regenerative sustainable dentistry: The evolving science is on our doorstep awaiting your next appointment.
Reference
Paul, K., Islam, A. & Volponi, A. Future horizons: embedding the evolving science of regenerative dentistry in a modern, sustainable dental curriculum. Br Dent J 232, 207–210 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-3981-8
