The future of Dentistry
When the organisers of the Innovation Symposium asked me to talk about the future of dentistry, I had to ask myself, ‘What do they think I know about it?’
I then thought, what does anybody know about the future of dentistry? Even those who think they know sometimes struggle; after all, nobody has a crystal ball. What we all can do, however, is imagine where we’ll each be in five years’ time. Then look back and think about what has happened over the last five years to get where we are now − as a profession, an individual, a team member, or part of an organisation.
Handling change
Change is inevitable. Firstly, there’s a new NHS contract coming our way next year, which will affect everyone in dentistry – even those who don’t have a contract. Inevitably over the next five years, there will be an increase in private practices and Corporates will continue their growth. We’ll see more digital innovations coming into dentistry and an increased need to embrace practice management systems fully.