His research on the future of dentistry was published last month in the Journal of the American Dental Association. Each generation, Eklund and other dentists are observing, needs less traditional dental care than the one before it. Patients also might consider second opinions in this environment, where some dentists could suggest unnecessary work. The state Bureau of Health Services, which licenses dentists, reported complaints against a scant 1 percent of the state's 7,364 licensed dentists in Michigan. In most cases, dentists are responding appropriately, doing less as less is needed.
Most patients give dental advances, which come with less pain than ever, a thumbs-up.
He got four implants instead. I just didn't want to put my teeth into little jars. While the practice of dentistry faces diminishing need for services with every ensuing decade, need for dental work will hit rock bottom in about 2030, when the last of the baby boomers turns 65, Eklund said. Dentistry will be challenged at that time to ensure a smaller supply of new practitioners, who will be able to handle more patients than ever before, Eklund said. For now, that appears to be true, Eklund said.