Where is dentistry going? What can we expect to see in the coming year? Dr. Jeremy N. Krell, Managing Partner of Revere Partners, offers his “predictions” for 2022 in the oral health space.

10. Dentistry will be more fun and accessible - so that staff stays longer and patient loyalty increases; quality dental care offered for rural/underserved communities globally

9. Prevention - transitioning the practice of dentistry from reactive to early detection; minimally invasive treatments available such as remineralization that prevent greater disease 

8. Edutech - education does not stop at dental school; making curated and trusted education for clinicians and dental staff more accessible so that clinical competence and confidence around new technologies increases and outcomes are improved

7. Growth of hard and soft tissue - therapeutics that offer scaffolding for growth and factors that promote growth as well as better autografts; the focus will shift towards regenerative materials and certainly away from treatments that remove natural tooth structure

6. Same day treatment with less pain and time - far more efficient for offices and a better experience for patients, including robotics and new forms of futuristic volumetric printing

5. Gender equalization - nearing 50%+ dental school graduates nationally are female and yet still we have major wage gaps; we need to welcome and embrace equality, diversity and inclusion within the profession in all aspects of dentistry and oral health innovation

4. Paytech - the industry needs revenue cycle management overhaul end-to-end, payment processing and reporting, soft credit checks, text and email invoices, and financing solutions that are affordable for patients and practices 

3. Biome - better mapping the microbiome within the oral cavity and understanding the role of each microorganism in clinical health and disease processes, as well as devising more targeted and personalized treatments

2. Digital orthodontics and labs - furthering the automation of teeth straightening and prosthetic production, ensuring clinicians are overseeing care, keeping patients compliant, bringing orthodontists and general dentists closer

1. AI - the rise of AI will come in 2022! We should see FDA approval for diagnostics, companies building bridges to insurers in pursuit of the ability to offer blanket pre-authorizations, better collaborative tools, driving from 2D into 3D imaging interpretation, and spanning individual practices through DSOs

Here’s to a happy and healthier 2022!