A Digital Hub to promote post graduate learning and research on Oral Health Digital workflow
The DigitalHub at Faculdade de Medicina Dentária da Universidade de Lisboa, tackles the technological evolution seen in the last years in the field of oral
health promoting the absolute necessary post-graduate training in the area of Dental Digital Workflow, allowing formation of new professional and including
those already practicing. Digital transformation not only improves patient care but also reduces the environmental footprint of analogue supply chains and
processes in oral health care.
National
Portugal
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Mainly urban
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Yes
Recovery and resilience plan for Portugal, 2021
No
Yes
As a representative of an organisation
Name of the organisation(s): Faculdade de Medicina Dentária da Universidade de Lisboa Type of organisation: University or another research institution First name of representative: Sofia Last name of representative: Arantes-Oliveira Gender: Female Nationality: Portugal Function: Professor Address (country of permanent residence for individuals or address of the organisation)<br/>Street and number: Rus Professora Teresa Ambrosio Town: Lisboa Postal code: 1600-277 Country: Portugal Direct Tel:+351 966 444 980 E-mail:sofiaaol@gmail.com Website:http://www.fmd.ulisboa.pt
URL:http://fmd.ulisboa Social media handle and associated hashtag(s): #fmd.ulisboa
Yes
New European Bauhaus or European Commission websites
Technological evolution seen in the last years has changed the paradigm of clinical and laboratory practice in the field of oral health. Technologies such as computer aided design - computer aided manufacturing, guided surgery, facial digitizers, intra and extra oral- digitizers as well as the state of the art of "deep learning" and artificial intelligence (AI) created the absolute necessity of post-graduate training in the area to allow new professionals and those already practicing to acquire these new skills, so that they can provide patients and the community with the best possible healthcare.
Leading to the inclusiveness of the dental workforce in the new Digital DentalWorkflow, improving patient care and also reducing the environmental footprint of analogue supply chains and processes in oral health.
Embracing three teaching areas (Dental Medicine, Dental Prosthesis and Oral Hygiene) Faculdade de Medicina Dentária da Universidade de Lisboa (FMDUL) proposes the creation of a DigitalHUB that leads in a first approach to the implementation of three post-graduate courses in B-Learning format. This format will allow training in a hybrid model of distance training and face-to-face training, essential for acquiring practical skills in the field of using digital equipment. The DigitalHUB is being developed inside the FMDUL facilities recreating the space with a project design of fluid lines that highlight the connection between the areas of oral care, but also the cleanliness of the digital process. This new environment will consolidate the curricular transition strategy towards the digital aspect, creating conditions in terms of facilities, equipment and teachers that allow transversal and articulated training between the various dental areas, deepening the knowledge necessary for the full exercise of their professional activity and creating highly qualified professionals prepared to use and develop “cleaner” DigitalWorkflow protocol with maximum efficiency.
Dental Digital Workflow
Dental Treatment
Sustainability in dental work
Training the workforce
Oral health
European green deal highlights the crucial role of education and training in empowering and engaging people for environmental sustainability and boosting the skills and competences needed for the green transition. Support for a green and digital transition is a priority area of EU policy cooperation in education. In oral health the analogue supply chains and processes contribute to a heavy carbon footprint. Recent technological developments contributing to a digital workflow in oral health care can reduce their environmental footprint as well as improve patient care. The evolution of digital diagnostic, treatment and manufacturing technologies thus constitutes a challenge for the entire oral health team composed of dentists, oral hygienists, and dental technicians. Artificial intelligence algorithms have allowed an accelerated development of various diagnostic devices, such as the identification of dental caries lesions, diagnosis of oral cancer and even the evaluation of tooth color. In addition, treatment options made possible using artificial intelligence also stand out, such as active guided surgery in the placement of dental implants, the use of intraoral and facial scanners for digital dental maps, as well as the digital scanning of tooth anatomy, and 3D printing of dental components, to name a few.
The creation of a DigitalHub provides training in this new Dental digital workflow to professionals that already represent the oral heath workforce, as well as to students from the three areas in the dental team (Dentists, Oral Hygienists and technicians). The establishment of several partnerships have already led to the signature of declarations of commitment with stakeholders in the industry (Straumann Group, Nobel Biocare, Zirkonzhan, EMS, 3D SYSTEM, Upcera). These will guarantee access to state-of-the art technology and all the new developments but also will allow for the cooperation in research leading to the development of greener technology and process.
Key objective of the initiative is to develop a DigitalHub towards the training of the dental workforce and new professionals on digital workflow in oral health care and include creating a visually pleasing and user-friendly design that promotes positive emotions and cultural benefits. The project aims to ensure that this Digital Hub is easy to navigate and understand and has a clear and uncluttered layout that prioritizes the user's needs. With minimalistic and modern aesthetics, with a focus on clean lines and a lack of ornamentation. The use of color and typography will be carefully considered to enhance the user experience. Additionally, the Bauhaus principles of collaboration and interdisciplinary approach will be applied to the development of the DigitalHub by bringing together experts from various fields such as design, oral health, and technology to work together to create a cohesive and well-rounded environment. This will be achieved using engaging and intuitive interfaces, clear and concise information, and a focus on making the experience accessible and inclusive for all users. Additionally, the initiative aims to ensure that the training provided is up-to-date, and that users can easily access the resources they need to improve their knowledge in oral digital workflow. The success of the DigitalHub will be measured by user satisfaction surveys and metrics such as students’ engagement and retention.
Aware of the importance of the digital transformation process, transversal to the various professionals that make up the oral health team, and committed to helping professionals acquire these skills, Faculdade de Medicina Dentária da Universidade de Lisboa (FMDUL) will address this way the inclusiveness of the dental workforce in this new digital workflow. The European Commission established an action plan for digital education (Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027) to refocus the educational process, to be more inclusive and accessible in the European Union space and adapted to the teaching and training of skills in this digital age we live in.
Creation of high-performance digital education ecosystem, for which infrastructure, digital equipment and connectivity are needed, effective capacity to plan and develop the organizational skills of the institution, competent and experienced teachers and teaching assistants at the digital level and finally educational content quality, easy-to-use tools and information-sharing platforms that are secure and respectful of privacy and ethics. Increase skills and training for digital transformation. This implies acting at the level of basic skills, increasing literacy, and reducing misinformation, education with computers and good knowledge and understanding of data technology (artificial intelligence), but also acting at the level of more advanced skills to produce more specialists in the areas of digital and gender representativeness in terms of education and professional careers.
There are around 14,000 dentists, more than 4,000 dental technicians and 1,000 oral hygienists working only in Portugal, for whom there was no training in digital technologies during their academic career. According to a study on the use of new CAD/CAM technologies recently carried out in Portugal, there is a reversal in the learning of digital transformation trends in higher education. In this research, it was observed that more than 50% of professionals consider that they are not up to date with new technologies, mostly due to lack of training in the area.
In this way, the development of the capacity of these active professionals to use digital technologies through the creation of a Digital HUB in the premises of the FMDUL will generate 3 new postgraduate courses in different areas of oral health (dental medicine, oral hygiene and dental prosthesis) and the integration of digital technologies in the teaching component of pre- and post-graduate education at FMDUL (Specializations in Dentistry, Post-graduation of digital technologies in Dental Prosthesis, Master in Oral Hygiene, Integrated Master in Dentistry and Degree in Oral Hygiene and Medicine Dental).
Students which will benefit from the DigitalHub will be actively involved in the development and implementation of the initiative. This will be achieved through the implementation of surveys and focus groups to gather feedback and input, as well as through community outreach and engagement activities to raise awareness about the initiative and its goals.
Civil society organizations, such as Portuguese Dental Association, will also play a critical role in the initiative by providing expertise and resources, as well as by advocating for the initiative and raising awareness about Digital expertise learning in oral health care among their members and the Digital workflow among a wider community.
The creation of the DigitalHub project in oral health is unique and will be a differentiating moment for the University of Lisbon, creating added value that we believe will go beyond the training implemented, through the partnerships and synergies that can be created between the different schools of the University of Lisbon and with the international business fabric, which is estimated to move more than one billion euros annually in digital oral health. Partnerships were already established with several stakeholders in the industry (Straumann Group, Nobel Biocare, Zirkonzhan, EMS, 3D SYSTEM), also under previously established collaboration protocols, New York University College of Dentistry and Universitat International de Catalunya are considered international partner schools.
FMDUL is the only teaching entity in Portugal that comprises the three teaching areas of the Oral Health Care (Dental Medicine, Dental Prosthesis and Oral Hygiene). Over the last 10 years FMDUL has been working towards the integration and development in its curriculum of new digital technologies, as evidenced by its laboratories of additive and subtractive CAD-CAM technology. Aware of the importance of this digital transformation process, transversal to the various professionals that make up the oral health team, and committed to helping professionals acquire these skills, FMDUL is working in the implementation of a DigitalHUB that will integrate all of pre-, post-graduate and research teaching components, thus promoting synergies between the different areas of scientific knowledge in oral health and through the partnerships created, the implementation of training and research considered as international references in the areas of digital technologies.
The development of a DigitalHub on teaching of oral health care may be considered innovative when compared to mainstream actions in the field for several reasons:
The use of technology: By leveraging digital tools and platforms, and training the dental workforce, the initiative capacitates the oral health providers with convenient and environmentally sustainable ways to provide oral health care.
User-centered design: By involving citizens (dental patients) and civil society organizations (Portuguese Dental Association) in the development of the initiative, the DigitalHub will be tailored to meet the specific needs and preferences of the target users, resulting in a more effective and user-friendly solution.
Interdisciplinary approach: By bringing together experts from various fields such as design, oral health, and technology to work together, the initiative can provide a more comprehensive and well-rounded approach to addressing oral health issues.
Personalized approach: The initiative could also incorporate personalization features that allow users to tailor their experience, such as through personal oral health assessments, and personalized oral health education and tips based on the results.
Overall, the innovative character of the initiative lies in its ability to provide a more comprehensive and tailored approach to addressing oral health care education that leverages the latest technology and design principles, with an active involvement of citizens and civil society organizations, resulting in a more effective and sustainable solution for improving oral health.
The DigitalHub will train the dental workforce on oral health Digital workflow. All the lessons learned will be applied by the students in their daily practices improving the oral health care of their patients but also improving the environemntal sustainability of the dental treatment by shifting from analogue to digital processes.
Partnership with major industry stakeholders will lead do the development of even better processes by implementing research capacity within the DigitalHub, potentially replicating newfound methodology, technology, processes, and products internationally.
The digital HUB will make it possible to consolidate the curricular transition strategy towards the digital aspect, creating conditions in terms of facilities, equipment and teachers that allow transversal and articulated training between the various dental areas, deepening the knowledge necessary for the full exercise of their professional activity and it will create highly qualified professionals who are prepared to use and develop work protocols with maximum efficiency. We also intend to expand the component of digital technologies in pre- and post-graduate training courses already existing at FMDUL, as well as to cooperate with industry partners in the research and development of newer digital process and products. This project began by winning a grant on the “ULisboa Postgraduation school and young impulse STEAM program”, that started the design and construction on FMDUL premises of the facilities. After construction three (3) Postgraduate courses will be implemented in B-Learning format. This format will allow training through a hybrid model of distance training and face-to-face training, essential for acquiring practical skills in the field of using digital equipment.
The new courses (differentiated in the three teaching areas of the FMDUL) must last for 1 semester with 96 teaching hours. Taught in a mixed regime, they will be structured in modules, which will include expository components, seminars and resolution and discussion of clinical case studies, complemented with a face-to-face training component. In this, students will have access to practices with the various digital technologies available at the HUB, so that they can acquire practical skills and improve their manual dexterity and fine motor coordination, while training the execution of most operative procedures. and technicians with digital equipment.
Other options may be considered, depending on issues of labor availability or geographic mobility.
An initiative that provides local solutions to global challenges addresses issues that affect the entire world, but with a focus on finding solutions that are specific to a particular community or location. This approach recognizes that while global challenges may be similar across different regions, the specific context and resources of each place must be considered to develop effective solutions.
Some examples of global challenges that the DigitalHub will address include:
Climate change: Digital hub will address the effects of climate change by capacitating the dental workforce in more sustainable practices such as Digital dental workflow.
Education: it will address the lack of quality education on digital processes in the dental workforce.
Healthcare: Digital hub will improve the quality of oral healthcare by educating the dental workforce in state-of-the-art oral health care.
Overall, an initiative that provides local solutions to global challenges recognizes that addressing these issues requires a tailored approach that considers the specific needs and resources of each community. This approach is particularly effective as it allows for solutions that are sustainable and adaptable to the local context.
The Digital hub project is being developed in FMDUL since july 2021. it has won a financing through Universidade de Lisboa (https://www.ulisboa.pt/noticia/ulisboa-ve-aprovada-sua-candidatura-no-ambito-do-plano-de-recuperacao-e-resiliencia-prr) in the scope of Portugal recuperation and resilient plan. The project has been developed in the last year by a team of architects and the building is starting and expected to be finished in the end of this year. In order to create the Digital HUB, it is necessary to convert the right wing of the 1st floor of the FMDUL main building. In this area, four multipurpose spaces will be adapted, with common use by all students, with the following characteristics:
- Multipurpose room with 25 computer terminals, for using treatment planning and restoration design software.
- Artificial Intelligence room and virtual simulators, for clinical intervention training based on digital interaction using scanners, lasers, clinical interaction robots, among others.
- Production technologies space, for manufacturing with subtractive technology (milling machines) and additive technology (3D printers), of custom-made medical devices.
- Space for preventive technologies, for training skills in screening and prevention of oral disease.
- Adaptation of the university clinic to the digital paradigm through the implementation of the clinical collection only in digital format and the installation of digital technology with a clinical aspect to be used during the clinical classes scheduled during the course of training.
Starting 2024 we should be able to offer the first three Postgraduate courses in Digital Technologies in dental medicine, oral hygiene and dental prosthesis, in B-Learning format.
In line with the European Competence framework on sustainability, FMDUL DigitalHub will equip learners and educators with the knowledge and skills on dental digital workflow, reducing the environmental footprint of analogue supply chains and processes in oral health. The partnership with several stakeholders both in industry as well as in learning institutions will help research and development even newer processes in the digital workflow.
