EDITORIAL

Taking new steps in dental research

Over the last 20 years, Brazilian dental research has established itself in the worldwide scenario, thanks to the quality of Brazilian investigators and teaching institutions, which have been widely supported by fi nancing and sponsoring agencies and have, as a result, produced high-quality research and published a substantial number of articles in high-impact journals.

As a direct consequence of this development, the number of professionals and investigators with master’s and doctoral degrees has signifi cantly increased, as did the number of articles published and cited. In this promising scenario, the traditional role of the university in disseminating knowledge through education and research gains a new mission, namely, that of fostering the technological and economic development of the country through scientifi c innovation and entrepreneurship.

Over the next few years, dental research should focus on the development of new technologies, and universities should offer an environment that enables fulfi llment of the abovementioned mission, guaranteeing assignment of intellectual property rights to the investigators and the institution, and thus generating income. In this new environment, the interaction between the university and the industry will become increasingly relevant, and will contribute to improving teaching and research and to granting access to stateof- the-art technology.

Rethinking the current model is essential so that we can increase the impact of teaching, research, and community outreach activities through the development of partnerships and initiatives that stimulate innovation and entrepreneurship and bring the greatest benefi t to society.

Giulio Gavini
Titular Professor of Endodontics at University of São Paulo