Exploring Block Chain in Dentistry

The information flowing along a blockchain is like a river that knows no country borders, is as unregulated as nature, and forever carries upstream pollution. Everyone paddling on the water can agree on the river’s depth at any point along the journey, and the river does not run straight because there is no one in charge to advise it. Finally, the river of information can cut through rock not because of its power but its persistence.

Successive waves of technology and the decades of transformative change that come in their wake will shake something free. As the boundaries among industries continue to blur, blockchain explorers stand ready to rip them open. Blockchain explorers are charting a new direction in every sector.

This paper focuses on how blockchain will impact dentistry in the areas of electronic health records (EHR), relationships with regulators and stakeholders, and clinical dental research disruption.

Written by: Dr. Peter C. Fritz