The Role of Science and Technology in Shaping the Dental Curriculum

In this article, we explore the role of science and technology as a force shaping the dental curriculum throughout history. This force is examined from a historical perspective, ranging from 1840 at the Baltimore College of Dentistry to 2007. We divide the history of dental education into two eras: the germ theory era from 1840 to 1953, and the genomic theory era from 1953 to 2007. We have chosen 1953 as the beginning of the genomic era as this is the year of publication of the structure of DNA. Based on our analysis of science and technology as a force acting on dental education throughout the two eras, we recommend a format for the basic science curriculum that emphasizes products and technologies as a means to teach the biosciences and to promote the translation of these technologies into dental practice.