An interview with Dr Roman Šmucler all over FDIWDC26

In keeping with Dr Roman Šmucler, dentistry’s long run is dependent now not on resisting generation however on guiding its protected, moral and clinically significant use. (Symbol: Dr Roman Šmucler)

Dr Šmucler, what does it imply for you for my part and professionally to welcome the FDI Global Dental Congress to Prague for the primary time?
This can be a dream fulfilled as a result of we labored in opposition to this for a few years. From time to time, it appeared nearly unattainable. Prague is a somewhat small town when compared with puts akin to Shanghai, the place the congress has up to now been held, or Mumbai, the place the congress will happen subsequent 12 months.

For me, crucial factor is that individuals are satisfied to be right here. From the outset, our purpose was once to create an stress-free and rewarding enjoy for delegates—one the place folks may attach, have interaction and profit from their time in combination. I am hoping now we have completed that.

You will have up to now mentioned that the 2026 congress could be the place “the way forward for dentistry turns into visual”. What adjustments do you consider will outline the way forward for the occupation?
Dentistry is converting utterly. The dentistry I studied rarely exists any further. The outdated philosophy was once very a lot about drilling and filling and about dentistry as a predominantly technical occupation. The Ecu custom, on the other hand, has traditionally been extra scientific. I’ve a Physician of Medication, and my dental training integrated a great deal of medication. That background is changing into more and more helpful as a result of caries enjoy has declined in lots of populations, whilst the scientific sides of dentistry are changing into extra essential.

Any other primary construction is AI. AI has complicated drastically, and I consider that, in lots of eventualities, it’s going to in the end develop into dangerous for clinicians now not to make use of it. We subsequently want to learn to use AI correctly, together with working out the moral issues surrounding it.

We can’t depend handiest on what we be mindful from college or on our particular person medical enjoy. Each and every affected person has masses or hundreds of particular person parameters. AI provides us the power to analyse way more data and individualise care to a point that was once up to now unattainable.

Robotics may even develop into more and more essential. Robots might give a boost to clinicians in appearing sure procedures with nice precision, together with sides of implant remedy. This may make coaching extra environment friendly and assist more youthful dentists carry out such procedures to a prime usual extra briefly. Alternatively, the occupation will have to stay actively curious about shaping those tendencies. We can’t merely permit generation firms to come to a decision what dentistry turns into.

How is generation already converting dental training and data switch?
Wisdom switch is converting considerably. Previously, when a extremely skilled professor died, a lot of that particular person’s wisdom disappeared. A few of it was once captured in textbooks, however a lot was once misplaced. As of late, virtual techniques and AI give us the potential of keeping and sharing way more collected wisdom.

Schooling is already converting as neatly. My daughter just lately completed scientific college, and all over her ultimate years, she studied widely with AI. Conventional instructing will also be very gradual: any person might spend 90 mins handing over a standard PowerPoint lecture. AI can paintings intensively with a scholar, within the language that the scholar prefers, ask questions and adapt instructing to particular person strengths and weaknesses.

I skilled one thing identical all over a programme at Harvard College. AI made it imaginable to have one thing comparable to a person tutor tailored to the scholar. Offering that stage of individualisation with human academics by myself could be extraordinarily tricky.

What do you want global delegates to grasp about Czech dentistry?
The Czech Republic has a robust custom of top quality dentistry and an extended historical past of drugs and better training. This can be a somewhat small nation, however that doesn’t imply that its contribution to dentistry is small. One attention-grabbing function is the somewhat younger reasonable age of dentists right here. Dentistry has develop into one of the vital sought-after fields of research within the Czech Republic and has substantial status in Czech society. It combines medication with handbook and technical paintings, and dentists even have a prime level {of professional} independence.

There could also be sturdy festival. Prague by myself has an overly huge choice of dentists, so practitioners have to differentiate themselves and care for a prime usual in the event that they need to be successful.

“The essential level is that the arena is converting, and we need to adapt.”

What lasting legacy do you want the congress to depart for Czech dentistry and for the broader occupation?
For Czech dentistry, I am hoping that the congress will create a way of satisfaction. I would like Czech dentists to remember that being from a somewhat small nation does now not restrict what they are able to reach. In the event that they paintings onerous, they are able to do ordinary issues. The second one essential legacy is global cooperation. I used to be more than pleased to look atypical practicing dentists—now not handiest lecturers—making connections right here with colleagues from other nations.

For global delegates, I am hoping that Prague will stay an overly sure non-public reminiscence. I additionally would really like them to depart with a more potent message: dentistry is at a crossroads. If we merely proceed doing what we’re doing now, portions of the occupation might develop into out of date. Dentistry will have to evolve since the global round it’s converting extremely briefly.

You will have been curious about AI-related tasks, together with EU-funded analysis. How may those tasks affect the way forward for dentistry?
There are lots of tasks, however one instance is a mission funded thru Horizon Europe, an EU analysis and innovation programme. I’ve been curious about creating the mission at the side of Prof. Falk Schwendicke and a variety of main Ecu establishments. One space we will be able to paintings on is the usage of AI within the prognosis of head and neck most cancers. This illustrates precisely why AI is so essential. Analysing such huge amounts of data thru typical human review by myself is terribly tricky.

That would turn out to be prevention. As a substitute of asking handiest how we will be able to make sure that each and every kid visits a dentist yearly, we could possibly use virtual equipment for speedy triage. Triage isn’t the similar as prognosis, after all, however those techniques can determine spaces that warrant nearer exam. Because the generation turns into less expensive and extra tough, I be expecting such tracking to develop into more and more built-in into on a regular basis existence.

Taking a look forward, what would accountable virtual transformation in dentistry appear to be? What function will have to skilled organisations play in guiding this construction?
There’ll all the time be a distinction between what skilled organisations would preferably like and what occurs actually. I chair the FDI Ecu Regional Group’s Operating Staff on Digitalisation in Dentistry, the place we paintings on coverage and sensible suggestions regarding AI and virtual dentistry. Those suggestions want to evolve frequently as a result of legislation and generation are converting so abruptly.  The EU AI Act is one instance of the regulatory tendencies that want to be regarded as. On the similar time, we need to be cautious to not over-regulate. Over the top legislation is not going to essentially prevent technological construction; on the other hand, it’s going to create boundaries to innovation or inspire folks to search out techniques across the laws.

The essential factor is to stay involved with fact. Dentistry can’t save you technological trade. What skilled organisations can and will have to do is supply protected steerage for its use. The a very powerful difference is between telling AI merely to “write a paper” and the usage of it as an highbrow spouse that demanding situations your considering. I in finding the latter extraordinarily treasured. AI can indicate that I would not have sufficient proof for a commentary, recommend that I check one thing or lift another interpretation.

Oral well being is integral to common and systemic well being. What wishes to modify for this connection to be higher mirrored in on a regular basis care and well being coverage?
For me, it’s each ordinary and quite unhappy that this connection must be emphasized, as it was once regarded as glaring again once I educated in Czechoslovakia. After I studied, dentistry was once thought to be one box inside medication quite than one thing totally separate. I consider that the separation between dentistry and the remainder of medication has long past too some distance in lots of puts.

Within the healthcare setting we’re transferring in opposition to, a slim technical conception of dentistry will develop into more and more tricky to shield as a result of most of the purely technical duties will probably be computerized. Clinical wisdom will subsequently develop into much more essential in dentistry. For me, there will have to in the long run be no elementary department between dentists, ENT experts and different medical doctors. They’re other scientific specialties, however they take care of the similar affected person and want to serve as inside the similar healthcare gadget.

Oral well being can’t sensibly be separated from common well being. Dentistry must be understood as a part of medication.