New York University College of Dentistry

Cristian Opazo is Director of Educational Technology at NYU College of Dentistry, where he leads technology-enhanced dental education and curricular innovation across preclinical and clinical programs. An expert in virtual reality simulation, artificial intelligence and health education, he founded NYU Dentistry's Virtual Reality Simulation Lab, where more than 2,000 dental students have received hands-on preclinical training. He also collaborates with clinicians on educational research and publishes in leading journals. Opazo holds MSc and PhD (ABD) degrees in experimental physics from Michigan State University and a BSc from Universidad de Chile.

From Physics to Educational Technology

My career has always been driven by my twin passions of technology and teaching.

By the time I was finishing my graduate studies in experimental physics, the field of educational technology was only beginning to emerge as a profession. The role of Director of Educational Technology scarcely existed back then, but it offered the perfect opportunity to combine scientific training with the human side of education.

My background as a physicist has shaped to a great extent how I approach every challenge. Physics is about discovering the fundamental principles that explain complexity. During my doctoral research at Fermi National Lab in Illinois, much of my work involved computer science, which allowed me to acquire that skill set. While I enjoyed solving technical problems in isolation, I realized that what energized me most was communicating ideas, collaborating with people and helping others learn.

That realization led me into academia. At Vassar College in New York, I divided my time between teaching physics and computational chemistry while also helping faculty integrate technology into their teaching. As educational technology matured into its own discipline, I realized I found the career I had been looking for.

Today, leading educational technology at NYU College of Dentistry allows me to do exactly what inspired me from the beginning—use technology to help people become better teachers and learners.

Building Technology around Clinical Competence

Educational technology looks different at every institution. In a professional school like dentistry, technology is not simply about digitizing classrooms or adopting new software. It is about enabling students to become competent clinicians.

Dentistry, already a highly technical profession, is also an increasingly digital one. From cone beam CT imaging and digital radiography to intraoral scanners and computer-assisted treatment planning, today's dentists rely on sophisticated technologies for patient care, be it for root canal surgeries or using Invisalign to correct crooked teeth. Students entering dental school today must therefore master both clinical skills and the technologies that support them.

Competency-based education is central to that mission. Competence in this context means consistently performing procedures safely, effectively and confidently. Educational technology plays a critical role because it enables students to build those competencies before they ever treat a patient while also helping faculty continuously modernize their teaching methods.

The Technologies Reshaping Dental Education

The technologies fundamentally transforming health professions education today are virtual reality simulation and generative artificial intelligence.

Virtual reality (VR) technology helps to solve one of the biggest ethical challenges in clinical education. Decades ago, students often gained experience by practicing procedures on real patients far earlier in their training. That approach is both risky and unethical, and therefore is no longer acceptable. Patients deserve care from competent practitioners, not opportunities for beginners to learn through trial and error.

The other option was plastic mannequins, but their obvious limitations make them inadequate for 21st-century learners. They lack realistic anatomy, provide little meaningful feedback and cannot simulate patient responses. Students often struggle to determine whether they are performing procedures correctly.

One initiative I am particularly proud of has been replacing mannequin-based preclinical surgical training with virtual reality simulation. We assembled a multidisciplinary team of instructional designers, 3D artists and human-computer interaction specialists to create simulations that provide realistic anatomy, expert guidance and immediate performance feedback throughout each procedure.

The result was the establishment of NYU Dentistry's Virtual Reality Simulation Laboratory, where students now practice surgical procedures in immersive environments before entering the clinic. They can repeat procedures as many times as necessary, practice from home using portable VR headsets and develop confidence in a low-stress setting. Faculty can even join students remotely within the same virtual environment, demonstrating techniques in real time regardless of location. Most importantly, students learn without risking patient safety.

Generative AI represents an equally significant shift, but for different reasons. Traditional AI has supported healthcare for decades by recognizing patterns in medical images and assisting with diagnosis. Generative AI changes the equation because it enables realtime content creation, sophisticated interactivity, and entirely new learning experiences.

One application we have developed uses AI not as the expert, but as the patient. Students interview AI-powered virtual patients, asking diagnostic questions, gathering clinical histories and developing differential diagnoses. Like real patients, these AI patients may forget details, misunderstand questions or describe symptoms inaccurately. That unpredictability helps students develop stronger communication skills and diagnostic reasoning while creating scalable learning experiences that were previously dependent on standardized patient actors.

Responsible Innovation Begins with the Patient

The excitement surrounding generative AI should never overshadow its responsible use.

“Most experienced educators did not grow up using technologies like AI, while today's students are genuine digital natives. Educational technology teams must work hard to bridge those worlds and ensure innovation strengthens quality education.”

Every technological decision in healthcare education must begin with one question: Does it improve patient care? If the answer is no, it should not be implemented. Responsible AI adoption means protecting patient privacy and supporting ethical clinical practice.

AI has tremendous potential in patient education, as it can help explain procedures in a language patients understand. Empowering patients helps them ask better questions and participate more actively in their own care. A well-informed patient is often a more confident patient.

Helping faculty embrace that mindset is just as important as introducing new technologies. Most experienced educators did not grow up using technologies like AI, while today's students are genuine digital natives. Educational technology teams must work hard to bridge those worlds and ensure innovation strengthens quality education.

The Next Frontier of Dental Education

Over the next three to five years, I expect two developments to define the future of dental education.

The first is the evolution from traditional VR headsets to lightweight smart glasses that integrate immersive learning more naturally into clinical environments. As wearable technology becomes lighter, more powerful and less intrusive, immersive learning will become far more accessible.

The second is the widespread adoption of AI-powered educational assistants. Intelligent tutoring systems and conversational AI patients will become standard components of dental curricula rather than experimental innovations. They will provide personalized practice opportunities while helping students develop stronger diagnostic reasoning before entering clinical practice.

State-of-the-art technology will increasingly become ubiquitous and make education more personalized, flexible and effective.

Great Educational Technology Leaders Build Expertise Beyond Technology

For those aspiring to lead in educational technology, my advice is to develop expertise in something beyond educational technology itself.

My scientific training has been invaluable throughout my career. Learning how scientists investigate problems, test hypotheses and evaluate evidence fundamentally shaped the way I lead innovation today. Whether your passion is engineering, biology, medicine or another discipline, deep subject matter expertise gives you credibility and helps you understand the people you serve.

Technology alone does not transform education. The greatest impact comes when technical expertise is combined with intellectual curiosity, strong communication and a genuine commitment to helping others learn. Those qualities will continue to matter long after today's technologies evolve into tomorrow's.