Prof. Falk Schwendicke is one of the most highly cited dental researchers in the world and a pioneering figure in the fields of cariology, artificial intelligence in dentistry, and health services research. He studied dentistry at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (2003–2008), obtained his doctorate there in 2009, and completed his Habilitation (venia legendi) in 2015. He subsequently earned a Master of Dental Public Health (MDPH) from the University of Manchester and qualified as a Specialist in Restorative Dentistry.
Academic Career
Schwendicke spent the formative years of his academic career at the Charité in Berlin, where he worked as a Senior Clinician and Deputy Head of the Department of Conservative and Preventive Dentistry (2013–2020) before taking over as Director of the Department of Oral Diagnostics, Digital Dentistry and Health Services Research (2020–2023). Since January 2024, he serves as Director of the Clinic for Conservative Dentistry and Periodontology at LMU Klinikum Munich — Germany’s largest dental clinic — and holds the W3 Full Professorship at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. He also holds honorary professorships at the Universities of Aarhus (Denmark) and Chennai (India).
Research & Publications
His research focuses on dental diagnostics and artificial intelligence, cariology, restorative and preventive dentistry, health economics, health services research, and public health. He has authored over 600 peer-reviewed articles, 250 abstracts, and 30 book chapters, and has delivered over 300 invited lectures worldwide, including the prestigious Buonocore Memorial Lecture. He consistently ranks in the top 1% of the most-cited researchers in dentistry globally according to the Stanford Ranking.
International Roles & Editorial Work
Schwendicke serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Dental Research and is a reviewer for over 40 scientific journals, including The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine, as well as for national funding bodies including the DFG, BMBF, and Innovationsfonds. He chairs working groups at the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Dental Federation (FDI), and the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO).
Awards & Recognition
In recognition of his outstanding global contributions to caries research and minimally invasive dentistry, Schwendicke received the Distinguished Scientist Award from the International Association of Dental Research (IADR) — one of the most prestigious honours in dental science. His work is widely credited with contributing to a paradigm shift in caries management on an international level.