Dental Education at a Crossroad: Questioning Institutionalized Education and Embracing the Liberating Potentials of Artificial Intelligenc

This manuscript criticizes the ways institutionalized, profit-driven models in dental education prioritize revenue, standardized credentials, and bureaucratic norms over the cultivation of ethical care, collaboration, and critical thinking. Grounded in William J. Gies’s vision of dentistry as a transformative force in healthcare, it also resonates with Ivan Illich’s call for learner-centred structures and Thomas Sergiovanni’s emphasis on community. The discussion delves into how financial barriers and rigid hierarchies exclude many aspiring clinicians from specialized opportunities, undermining dentistry’s broader social mission. Against this backdrop, the manuscript positions AI as a potential agent of democratization, capable of delivering personalized, costeffective learning experiences. It stresses, however, that AI must be approached with ethical oversight, transparency and a commitment to inclusivity rather than to commercialization. By reframing AI as a tool that can empower both students and faculty, this work imagines a future where technology complements rather than eclipses the essential human elements of empathy, mentorship and artistry, all in service of a more equitable and community-oriented model of dental education.