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Reimagining Dental Education: Integrating Digital Technologies for a Global, Digitally Native Generation—A Perspective
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9801-4889
Department of Ophthalmology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
Department of Cariology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Institute of Dentistry, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-2656-3939
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2026 (English)In: European Journal of Dentistry, ISSN 1305-7456Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

Digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and haptic simulation, are rapidly reshaping oral health education. Traditional phantom head and clinic-based teaching remain essential but no longer suffice alone for digital-native learners or for regulators who increasingly view digital competence as mandatory. PostCOVID evidence suggests immersive and hybrid approaches can enhance motivation, deepen learning, support well-being, and strengthen clinical competence when thoughtfully embedded into curricula. Done well, this integration can foster safer, patient-centered digital care. Sustainability concerns around traditional, resource-intensive methods are also growing; digital tools can reduce material waste and resource use, aligning dental education with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, access to these innovations is uneven, raising concerns about a digital divide in graduate readiness and patient care. Networks such as the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), and the Haptic and AI Digital Education Network for Excellence and Research (HAiDENERS) show how collaboration and benchmarking can democratize advanced simulation. Together with active communication involving global research bodies and industry, these developments enable a hybrid, evidence-informed, and equitable training ecosystem whose ultimate goal is improved, safer, and more predictable oral health care worldwide.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Georg Thieme Verlag , 2026.
Keywords [en]
artificial intelligence, dental computer, education, health equity, interprofessional education, simulation, virtual reality
National Category
Odontology
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URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-87164DOI: 10.1055/s-0046-1823144ISI: 001797872400001PubMedID: 42322988Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105043517314OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-87164DiVA, id: diva2:2087720
Available from: 2026-07-22 Created: 2026-07-22 Last updated: 2026-07-24Bibliographically approved

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Örtengren, Ulf

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Palotie, UllaFelszeghy, SzabolcsAl-Haroni, MohammedDidilescu, AndreeaSchick, Simona GeorgianaZadrozny, ŁukaszHuberson, BenjaminValenzuela, Daniela Alejandra PinoKapoor, DeepikaQuenta-Silva, EdgarAktaş, HilalOrhan, KaanNassani, Leonardo M.Bakr, MahmoudSondagar, NikunjGudsoorkar, PriyankaMarincsák, RitaÖrtengren, UlfKhurshid, ZohaibQuinn, BarrySpagnuolo, GianricoChau, Reinhard Chun Wang
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