Challenges and opportunities for dental education, research, and service in the 21st century.

The recent advances in research, technology, and levels of oral health are expected to continue at an accelerated pace. This will place pressures on the curricula, students, and faculty of dental schools; our research infrastructure; and the way we serve diverse segments of the population. Although it is easy to forecast that improvements will come at ever quicker rates, it is less certain how we will react to them.