Practice

The next five years of revolution

Oct. 1, 2018

Where will dentistry be in 2023? Dental Economics’ Chief Editor Dr. Chris Salierno says looking ahead is more than just curiosity; it’s a healthy business exercise. Your future self in 2023 will thank you.

Chris Salierno, DDS, Chief Dental Officer, Tend

Let’s time travel back to dentistry in 1960. I wasn’t even alive then, let alone practicing, but I’m putting my imagination cap on. Think about the technology, the materials, and the workflow. Picture the restorative options available for a broken tooth. Now, let’s jump to the year 1965 and do the same thought experiment. Probably not that much has changed, right? Ditto for 1970 or 1975. Sure, we’ll witness improvements in composite resins and ceramics, but the day-to-day lives of dentists and the services they provided weren’t being turned upside down in five-year spans.

That has certainly changed today. As I’ve discussed before,1 I believe that we are in the midst of what Jeremy Rikfin calls the Third Industrial Revolution.2 The accelerated rate of innovations we are witnessing in dental material science, digital technology, and patient services is no coincidence. It is the result of a rare confluence of developments in energy, transportation, and communication technologies that will permanently change our profession (and virtually every other industry) forever.

And so, perhaps, it is more interesting than ever before to look forward five years and read the proverbial tea leaves. What emerging business models will grow in strength and number? What are the products we’re currently using every day that will largely disappear from our cabinets? What new services might we be offering to our patients?

Looking ahead is more than just curiosity; it’s a healthy business exercise. In this issue, I’ve asked practicing dentists and industry leaders to think about where we are right now and where we might be in five years. I hope you’ll find their analyses provocative enough to play this game for your own businesses. Your future self in 2023 will thank you.

Cheers,

Chris Salierno, DDS

[email protected]

References

1. Salierno C. The Third Industrial Revolution and dentistry. Dental Economics. 2017;107(9):8.

2. Rifkin J. The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power Is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World. New York, NY: St. Martin’s Press; 2011.

About the Author

Chris Salierno, DDS | Chief Dental Officer, Tend

Chris Salierno, DDS, is a general dentist from Long Island, New York. He graduated from Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine in 2005. Dr. Salierno lectures internationally on clinical dentistry, practice management, and leadership development. In 2017 he became a chief development officer with the Cellerant Consulting Group, and he was the chief editor of Dental Economics from 2014 to 2021. In 2021, he became the chief dental officer at Tend. He can be reached on Instagram @the_curious_dentist.

Updated May 13, 2022