The event brought together leading academic and professional figures to discuss the main challenges facing the profession. Dr Lluís Giner emphasised the need to “pool efforts across all sectors” in order to move towards a more equitable, accessible and prevention-oriented model of oral healthcare.  In this regard, he stressed that “the only way to guarantee efficient, high-quality care is through collaboration between the public and private sectors”.

As both an academic and professional leader, Dr Giner also called for official recognition of dental specialities, which he sees as essential to providing specialised care tailored to the real needs of the population.  He further argued that the current care model cannot continue to rely solely on intervention and must instead prioritise prevention from an early age to improve oral health outcomes for all.

Commitment to excellence in education and technological innovation

“Universities are key players in this process,” stated the Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry. “That is why, at the Faculty, we work to train professionals with a holistic view of health, who understand prevention not only as a clinical strategy but also as an ethical commitment to patients and society,” he added. As Dr Giner pointed out, universities also play a vital role in driving research and fostering dialogue with public authorities to promote structural changes that improve both access to and the quality of dental care.

He also highlighted the growing role of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in dentistry, while stressing the importance of maintaining a human-centred approach that places the patient at the heart of care.  On this point, he stated, “organisations such as the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the International College of Dentists play a key role in ensuring that professionals use new technologies responsibly and with a firm ethical and social commitment”.