1. Be your own boss and own a dental practice
2. Create your own hours
3. Give patients smiles they are proud to wear
4. Unravel scientific mysteries
5. Feel good about improving patients’ health
   and appearance
6. Use lasers, computer-generated imaging and
   other new technology
7. Be respected by family and friends
8. Use your artistic and scientific talents
9. Great income (in the $198,000 per year range)
10. Everyone needs dental care

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The future looks bright for dentistry and the nation’s oral health in the 21st century. Post-natal stem cell research, gene therapy transfer and links between oral health and systemic health (other body systems) will reshape dental practice in the 21st century. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) clinical and basic research that may revolutionize the practice of dentistry includes:

• Postnatal stem cell research aimed at tissue regeneration
• Salivary research is expected to yield new diagnostic tests
• Gene transfer therapy that may induce the salivary glands to produce hormones, antibodies or other agents to prevent or treat oral and systemic disease
• Stem cells, possibly derived from the patient’s own deciduous teeth, will be used to
  repair bone defects
• Small “labs-on-a-chip” will be placed intraorally to analyze hundreds of different components in oral fluids as early indicators of oral and systemic disease
• Studies involving restorative procedures to retain teeth, dentistry and new dental materials

For information on the latest dental research, visit www.nidcr.nih.gov.