Evolution of the Scientific Basis for Dentistry and Its Impact on Dental Education: Past, Present, and Future

Abstract

Science is the fuel for technology and the foundation for understanding the human condition. In dental education, as in all health professions, science informs a basic understanding of development, is essential to understand the structure and function of biological systems, and is prerequisite to understand and perform diagnostics, therapeutics, and clinical outcomes in the treatment of diseases and disorders. During the last seventy-ive years, biomedical science has transformed from discipline-based scientists working on a problem to multidisciplinary research teams working to solve complex problems of signiicance to the larger society. Over these years, we witnessed the convergence of the biological and digital revolutions with clinical health care in medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, and allied health care professional education. Biomedical science informs our understanding, from human genes and their functions to populations, health disparities, and the biosphere. Science is a "way of knowing," an international enterprise, a prerequisite for the health professions, and a calling and adventure to the curious mind. Science, the activity of doing science, is in the national self-interest, in the defense of a nation, and critical to the improvement of the human condition. In the words of Vannevar Bush, "science is the endless frontier.

The dentist-scientist career pathway in Africa: opportunities and obstacles

“…On the other hand, many developed economies have perfected ways to systematically incorporate science and research into dental practice. For example, the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) was established in America in 1948, and was highly instrumental in weaving science and technology research into the American dental schools, as well as applying science to inform the routine practice of oral healthcare [ 21 ]. After 50 years of remarkable expansion of the research and training portfolio of the NIDR, the name was changed to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) in 1998 [ 21 ].…”

“…Although the support of the pure scientist is needed to tackle dental research problems that emanate from clinical observation, dental practitioners should play a more important role in addressing these problems [ 20 ]. Over the years, medical science has experienced a shift from clinician-scientists focusing on a single problem to multidisciplinary team science focused at solving a complex problems of significance to the society at large [ 21 ].…”

The future of research in craniofacial biology and what this will mean for oral health professional education and clinical practice

“…These data sets now extend from prions and microbes to humans – genomes, transcriptomes, proteomes, metabolomes, diseasomes and pharmacogenomics – with complementary imaging data and annotation for storage and retrieval . Since World War II, investments in biomedical scientific research have continued to inform health professional education as well as clinical craniofacial‐oral‐dental health practices and profoundly improve the human condition by reducing the prevalence of disease while enhancing the quality of life . The following research efforts reflect the future of craniofacial biology and each example provides major opportunities for revision of health professional education in dentistry, medicine, nursing and pharmacy.…”

“…What are the optimal conditions and biomaterials for osseoconduction and osseoinduction for bone augmentation? These and many other such questions have and continue to inspire inquiry and multidisciplinary translational and clinical research …”

“…Science, technology, prenatal care, early childhood development, advances in primary and secondary education, and enhancements in human behaviour together made this possible. In the past 60 years alone, the research and scientific discoveries within the discipline of craniofacial biology, as well as from other tangential fields that have been applied, have led to significant changes and paradigm shifts in terms of health care practices . Much of this has been the result of health promotion, risk assessment, preventive practices, improved diagnostics and treatment planning, procedures and therapeutics, biomaterials, and predictable outcomes.…”