The impact of oral disease on whole-body health and the changes to the practice of dentistry worldwide are the subjects of The Future of Oral Heath, a new publication produced by Scientific American Custom Media, in collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive Company.
The issue launched on October 21 at the American Dental Association’s annual meeting in Denver. A panel discussion, “The Evolving Landscape of Global Oral Health, Its Prevention and Treatment,” was moderated by Jeremy Abbate, VP and publisher of Scientific American and the publishing director of The Future of Oral Heath. Panelists include: Michael C. Alfano, DMD, PhD, Caswell A. Evans, DDS, MPH, Sharon Guynup, Thomas E. Van Dyke, DDS, PhD, Dipl. ABP (Periodontology), and Marko Vujicic, PhD.
The publication explores science, policy, and new delivery models to better understand the current and future state of the multifaceted oral health field. Within the issue are updates on:
- The oral health of a growing elderly population; global health issue of caries and periodontal diseases and the latest industry developments helping to improve access and cost-of-care in these areas.
- The state of the science linking oral health and other areas of medicine and changes in the relationships between the dental and medical communities as they slowly de-silo and integrate to deliver better care and greater access for patients.
- New tools being employed in diagnostics, biotechnology, and digital health that are advancing care, along with a special look at how dentistry and oral health will be managed in the future.
- Philosophies and technologies that have fueled industry changes and ways in which global demographics are mandating more accommodating, on-demand approaches to dentistry that reduce cost and bring care to hard-to-reach populations.
“We are thrilled to be working with Colgate to bring these important issues to an international audience,” Abbate said. “Examining oral health through the lens of global health, access to care, and future technology is a relevant conversation, not just for dentistry, but for the larger allied health space.”
Pat Verduin, Colgate’s chief technology officer, added: “Solutions in oral health must address evolving patient needs, changing global demographics, and the ever-advancing innovation landscape that will affect delivery methods and models of care.”
Scientific American’s The Future of Oral Health: Global Challenges, Advances, and New Technologies is freely accessible at https://www.scientificamerican.com/products/the-future-of-oral-health/.
