A game-changer for dentistry?

Michael Sultan considers the potential impact of anthroengineering.

It’s no secret that a more holistic approach to dentistry is fast becoming the norm. It’s not unusual to now discuss oral health in relation to wider wellbeing when we speak to our patients and consider how various outside influences can affect dental health. But fundamentally, we still approach dentistry as, well… dentists. However, what if there were a new way to look at dentistry that would change the foundations of what we know?

If the discussion around anthroengineering proves to be true, then this emerging field could be exactly that.

What is anthroengineering?
Effectively, anthroengineering is the result of a transdisciplinary approach comprised of both anthropology (the study of humanity) and engineering (the science of technology). This means that this field not only considers human behaviour, language and societal effects, but also how these can be combined with the application of science alongside the manufacture of mechanical solutions to solve any problems.