Successful development and implementation of a digital dentistry curriculum at a US dental school
Carlos A. Jurado, Akimasa Tsujimoto, Amit Punj, Natsuko Aida, Masashi Miyazaki, Hidehiko Watanabe
Abstract
Introducing new technology in the dental school curriculum may face some uphill challenges navigating through university-level bureaucracy, financial ramifications, and influencing the mindset of certain faculty. A dental school that relies heavily on teaching traditional restorative procedures may particularly face many challenges to embrace new technology. The restorative department at a US dental school created a division of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) dentistry to introduce the concept of digital dentistry to dental students and faculty. This article describes methods that were adopted to improve acceptance and increase the productivity of chairside CAD/CAM restorations for both students and faculty at the dental school in US.