Dental News - Could crowdfunding foster next dental revolution? Dental Tribune investigates

Could crowdfunding foster next dental revolution? Dental Tribune investigates

Crowdfunding, as it is known today, started in 2006 and has since grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. Within the world of dentistry, there is also no shortage of ideas. (Photograph: Miriam Doerr Martin Frommherz/Shutterstock)

Dental Tribune International

Sun. 14. January 2018

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LEIPZIG, Germany: Modern dentistry is moving in various different directions in a variety of fields—from toothbrush start-ups to online crowdfunding campaigns that are raising thousands of dollars for new ideas, such as a floating dental clinic in Cambodia. With so many interesting and inspiring concepts out there, Dental Tribune Online has decided to dedicate a series specifically focusing on the world of crowdfunding within dentistry and investigate which ideas look promising in 2018.

The idea of crowdfunding, as it is known today, originated in 2006 and has since grown into a multibillion-dollar industry. The concept is simple. Everyday people who sometimes have extraordinary ideas can set out to bypass the usual mainstream funding avenues and reach out directly to individuals who might be inspired by the idea and want to support it. People with new ideas can upload pictures, videos and descriptions to any number of online platforms that manage donations, allowing direct contact between the curator and the supporter—with a number of rewards offered to those who donate money towards the project. Across all these sites, the impetus is always the same. Someone has an idea and that person needs funding to bring it to life.

This relatively new idea towards achieving goals and introduce innovative products to the wider public has seen some bedroom ideas be transformed into worldwide hits. It has also seen artists of all kinds introduce their work to the world, even allowing established musicians like Public Enemy to raise $75,000 for their new album.

The success of crowdfunding has also landed within the dental industry and there is no shortage of crowdfunding ideas—some better than others and some more successful than others. Over the next few weeks, Dental Tribune Online will be sharing a few of the best and worst ideas out there, to see just where the world of oral health might be heading in the New Year, and who could be leading the way.