Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41962511›Full record

ArticleInternational dental journal2026

Emerging Technologies, Education, and Governance in Latin American Dentistry: Perspectives from Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Carlos David Zavarce Velasquez, Juan Ramón Vanegas Sáenz, José Victorio Salazar Luces, Carlos Eduardo Zavarce Castillo, Guang Hong

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in International dental journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Carlos David Zavarce VelasquezGraduate School of Law, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Juan Ramón Vanegas SáenzDivision of International Collaborative and Innovative Dentistry, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. Electronic address: juan.vanegas.a1@tohoku.ac.jp.
José Victorio Salazar LucesDepartment of Robotics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Carlos Eduardo Zavarce CastilloFacultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
Guang HongDivision of International Collaborative and Innovative Dentistry, Graduate School of Dentistry, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND

aimsThis article aims to answer how emerging technologies, education, and governance can be strategically integrated to improve oral health in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). By focusing on Venezuela and Nicaragua, it identifies the structural gaps that must be addressed to unlock the full potential of these technologies. The authors argue that the thematic intersection proposed in this article remains underexplored, particularly in the LAC context, where further research is needed to combine critical analysis with context-specific approaches to public policy.

methodsThis study employed a comparative case study based on a mixed-methods design with both descriptive and explanatory components, grounded in 2 epistemological stages. In the first stage, a qualitative approach was applied through documentary research drawing on primary and secondary sources. In the second stage, the authors conducted fieldwork using structured online surveys with dental professionals, including both practitioners and scholars. The online surveys focused on 4 dimensions within the field of dentistry: (1) knowledge and application of emerging digital technologies, (2) education, (3) governance, and (4) public policies.

resultsThe results combine qualitative analysis with descriptive statistics, enabling country-level comparisons. The findings show that the adoption of emerging technologies in LAC dentistry, especially in Venezuela and Nicaragua, faces significant transnational challenges, including cost, education and training, infrastructure limitations, and regulatory gaps. Addressing these issues would benefit from coordinated responses from governments, the private sector, universities, professional associations, and other stakeholders. A collaborative approach at both national and regional levels is therefore essential for advancing digital transformation in oral health across the region.

conclusionDespite these challenges, a growing number of cases demonstrate the successful application of digital technologies, such as intraoral scanners (IOS), minimally invasive dentistry (MID), computer-aided design / computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in scanning, diagnosis, and treatment. These, however, remain isolated experiences rather than evidence of a fully integrated digital ecosystem. In this vein, policymakers should prioritize emerging technologies to ensure public policies that guarantee oral health for all. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study identifies system-level barriers to the clinical adoption of digital dentistry in Venezuela and Nicaragua and proposes actionable policies and institutional measures to enable the safe, effective, and equitable integration of IOS, CAD/CAM workflows, and AI-assisted diagnostics.

Indexed as

DentistryEducation, DentalDigital HealthHumansNicaraguaOral HealthPublic PolicySurveys and QuestionnairesVenezuelaDentistryEducationEmerging technologiesGovernanceNicaraguaVenezuela

Identifiers

PMID41962511
PMCPMC13091825

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.