To this observer, the June 2000 Special Supplement, "Dentistry in the 21st Century," describing what patients and professionals can expect in the years ahead, was disappointing on two counts.
First, topics selected by those purported to be "some of the best-known clinicians" demonstrated an extremely myopic view of dental care in the coming decades. These experts fail to recognize that during the new century, dentistry will be profoundly affected by the rapid progress now under way in the biological sciences.
Young dentists currently beginning practice will, during their professional lifetimes, be working with molecular-sized robotics (nanotechnology). They will be able to restore function with genetically engineered tooth structure, gingival tissue, cementum, periodontal attachments and alveolar bone.
Necrotic pulps will be replaced with autonomously generated, vital tissue. The metabolism of the causative agents of caries and periodontal disease will be controlled. With the imminent decoding of the genes for tooth structure, DNA will be capable of restructuring to produce disease-free teeth and surrounding structures.
Second, there is a bothersome question of conflict of interest. The subject matter of most of the articles relates in large part to current techniques and products marketed by DENTSPLY, the company that paid for the supplement. Further, since so many of these products are identified in reports, there is a question as to whether DENTSPLY also financially supported the clinicians. Under the circumstances, the suggestion by the guest editors that the special report "be kept and studied as a cutting-edge reference on modern dentistry" is unconvincing.
