Dental Technologists at the Centre of System Reform

CDO Scientific Conference 2026 - Why This Matters for Dental Technologists

Delroy Reeves, DTA Liaison Delegate, attended the Chief Dental Officer (England) Scientific Conference on behalf of the Dental Technologists Association (DTA), held at the University of Sheffield on Friday 16 January 2026.

One point was made unmistakably clear: dentistry is entering a period of structural reform, digital transformation and workforce redesign. Dental technologists must not be positioned at the periphery of these changes, they are central to delivering them.

System Reform Requires Full Team Integration

Updates from the Office of the Chief Dental Officer (OCDO) and Professor Nick Barker confirmed that contract reform, revised care pathways and new remuneration models are progressing, with implementation anticipated from April 2026.

A consistent theme throughout the day was skill mix and enabling the dental team to work to full scope of practice. This conversation cannot exclude dental technologists. As restorative and minimally invasive models of care evolve, laboratory-clinical integration becomes even more critical to: 

• Deliver predictable patient outcomes
• Improve efficiency within reformed pathways
• Reduce unnecessary retreatment
• Support risk-based and preventive care models

If reform is genuinely system-level, it must formally recognise the technical workforce as part of the solution.

Digital Transformation Demands Technical Leadership

Sessions on digital NHS infrastructure, AI-assisted triage and single patient records signalled a rapid shift toward data-driven dentistry. Digital workflows, CAD/CAM, additive manufacturing and AI-supported diagnostics are no longer future concepts, they are being embedded into policy direction.

Dental technologists are already leaders in digital transformation. However:

• Policy conversations often focus on clinicians alone
• Investment discussions rarely include laboratory infrastructure
• Digital integration across the primary care pathway remains fragmented
• Advocacy is needed to ensure that laboratory digital capability is recognised as essential infrastructure, not optional add-on capacity.

Workforce Wellbeing Is a Whole-Team Issue

The wellbeing session highlighted high levels of psychological distress within dentistry. While statistics focused on dentists, laboratory professionals face parallel pressures:

• Rising material costs
• Compressed turnaround times
• Regulatory burden
• Workforce shortages

Sustainable dentistry requires recognition of laboratory pressures within workforce planning frameworks.

Resource Allocation and Equity

Discussions on public priorities and the £6bn+ direct cost of oral disease raise essential questions about how resources will be allocated.

Access to high-quality prosthetics, restorative devices and appliances is not cosmetic, it is functional, social and psychological healthcare. Dental technology provision must be protected within funding reform to avoid unintended inequity.

Strategic Takeaway for the DTA

The direction of travel is clear:

• Greater emphasis on prevention
• Stronger skill mix
• Contract reform
• Digital infrastructure expansion
• AI-enabled care
• Resource reallocation

Dental technologists must be positioned:

• As core members of reformed care pathways
• As digital innovation partners
• As contributors to research and implementation science
• As stakeholders in workforce wellbeing and system design