ABSTRACT
Digital technology is transforming how dentistry will be delivered in the future. Adopting digital opportunities will enable staff and patients to confidently navigate this new digital environment. We need to consider how dentistry is identifying and developing digital talent, building digital competence and future-proofing our teams. It also implies there must be a fundamental culture change in the way the profession collaborates with patients, clinicians, service commissioners and policymakers to deliver a sustainable digital transformation.
Subject(s)
Dentistry , HumansABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating health, economic and social impact on the UK health services. The learning from redeployment demonstrated that dental professionals can be rapidly integrated into the wider healthcare system, but the challenge is how this can be sustained in the future. This is an opportunity for dental training to be incorporated into a more integrated model of care, and this article outlines a collaboration between NHS England and NHS Improvement, Health Education England and Local Dental Networks to establish a novel training opportunity. This Assistant Dentist Integrated Care Pilot Programme has provided retention of dentists within areas of unmet need and introduced innovative opportunities for dental workforce transformation.