Dr. Rick Carvalho, Professorin the Department of Oral Biological and Medical Sciences, Division of Biomaterials at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Carvalho spoke with Dr. John O’Keefe about what he see as the future of dental materials and their use in dentistry in the next 10 years.
Highlights
- There will be a shift from passive inert materials to more active and functional materials that interact with the human body: materials with bioactivity characteristics.
- Materials could function as drug releasing systems that target localized and systemic diseases.
- There is a move towards using genomics, proteomics and metabolomics to create patient profiles and devise personalized preventive and therapeutic approaches.
- Stem cells could be the ‘materials’ of the future as they are attracting much research in the field.
- Stem cells could be used in recovering cells and guiding them to regenerate structures.
- There is a need for dental education to accommodate the changes that are already occurring or will occur in the future in the field of biomaterials.
- There is currently a substantial difficulty in disseminating and implementing research findings and technological innovations. Association can play a significant role in bringing these findings and innovations to the awareness of oral healthcare professionals.
Audio file of the interview (mp3)
Additional Resource