Background The evolving landscape of dentistry in the United States demands a core shift from transactional to transformational leadership among practitioners. Historically, dental practices have operated as small, solo entities where short-term, task-focused leadership sufficed. However, increasing consolidation and technological advancements are driving dentistry toward larger, more complex organizations.Discussion This transition exposes the inadequacy of current dental education, which emphasizes technical competency but lacks formal leadership training. Two ethical frameworks, relationship-based and market-driven, shape how dentists view their roles and responsibilities, yet the future of the profession requires leaders who can bridge both perspectives, inspire teams, foster innovation, and facilitate organizational growth. Transformational leadership is essential for improving patient outcomes, maintaining staff engagement, adapting to rapid technological change, and ensuring the overall success of dental practices. Addressing this need, dental education programs and accrediting standards must integrate comprehensive leadership training and continuing professional development for both students and practitioners. Effective mentorship, collaboration with business, schools, and ongoing education will be critical to preparing dentists to be visionary leaders within an expanding and increasingly complex health care ecosystem.
Background Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly visible force in dentistry – shaping imaging and diagnostics, treatment planning, robotics and automation, virtual and augmented reality, predictive analytics, and administrative support. Yet the United States has limited AI-specific regulation in health care, leaving professional self-governance and ethical stewardship as primary safeguards. To maintain public trust and protect patients, dentistry must define how AI should be used, how accountability is preserved, and what competencies are required for safe adoption.Case Description Dentistry should formally embrace an augmented intelligence (AUI) posture – a “human-in-the-loop” model in which AI supports, but does not replace, clinical judgment and professional responsibility. An education-forward strategy grounded in four learning domains (fundamentals, applications, assessment, and governance/ethics) is proposed to ensure dentists can evaluate AI outputs, recognize signs of bias, and apply AI appropriately within clinical and operational contexts. Building on this framework, three profession-level priorities are emphasized: (1) curricular reform to establish consistent AI competencies across training programs; (2) improved clinical governance to guide selection, validation, monitoring, and documentation of AI tools in practice; and (3) data democratization to strengthen transparency, equity, and shared learning across institutions and settings.
Background Children in rural areas often face limited access to dental care. School-based teledentistry models like the virtual dental home (VDH) offer an innovative way to expand preventive services.Methods From 2021 to 2025, the UCSF-Smile Keepers VDH program operated in a public school, serving students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade. Dental services were delivered using a hybrid model that combined on-site care with teledentistry supervision. Data was extracted from the electronic health records and trainee evaluations to assess patient/clinical outcomes and trainee outcomes.Results The average annual enrollment rate for eligible students across all four years of implementation was 24%, with an average of four visits per patient. Services provided were mainly preventive and diagnostic. Trainee confidence improved significantly, particularly in virtual treatment planning and serving children with special health care needs. The program reached primarily low income, Medicaid-enrolled students.Conclusions The VDH model improved access to preventive dental care for school children while enhancing hands on training for residents. It offers a promising strategy for care delivery in rural schools.Practical Implications Integrating teledentistry into dental training programs can help close access gaps for underserved children by equipping future providers to work effectively in community and public health settings.
Background Title IX is a foundational civil rights law affecting educational environments, including dental education. Ongoing regulatory changes have created uncertainty for institutions, raising questions about whether compliance alone is sufficient to fulfill dentistry’s professional and ethical obligations. This paper examines Title IX through the lens of professionalism, justice, and the profession’s social contract.Conclusions Title IX should be understood not only as a legal requirement but also as an ethical framework that aligns with dentistry’s commitments to beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and respect for persons. Evidence from dental education literature suggests that gender-based discrimination, harassment, and inequities remain challenges for learners, faculty, and staff. An ethics-centered approach provides a pathway for institutions to move beyond minimum compliance and strengthen cultures of accountability, safety, and inclusion.Practical Implications Dental schools can advance these goals by incorporating Title IX principles into admissions, curriculum, clinical training, and institutional policies. Doing so may foster safer learning environments and better prepare future oral health professionals to lead with fairness, professionalism, and respect. The values reinforced through Title IX in training can also inform ethical leadership and workplace culture throughout graduates’ careers.
