Background: The mapping of the human genome and cracking the "code of life" have been huge and era-defining scientific achievements, comparable to walking on the moon. We have made exponential progress over the past century in our understanding of the biological, and more especially the molecular, causes of health and disease. Fundamental theoretical and scientific advancements in the study of heredity, the identification of the DNA molecule and genes, and the clarification of the fundamental tenet of biology characterise the early 20th century. Experimental and increasingly molecular research, including clinical and demographic applications, dominated the second half. The Human Genome Project's 2003 completion and ongoing technological advancements have democratised access to this knowledge and the capacity to produce data on health and disease associations; however, genomic and precision medicine have not yet been fully realised in terms of actually improving people's health. The field of oral health has advanced significantly over the past century, greatly benefiting from genetic and genomic discoveries. It was discovered that tooth caries had a genetic component as early as the 1920s. Later advances were made in identifying the genetic underpinnings of uncommon illnesses such ectodermal dysplasias, orofacial clefts, and other craniofacial and dental deformities. More recently, genome-wide analyses have been carried out and published for a number of conditions and features, including periodontal disease, dental caries, tooth agenesis, head and neck malignancies, orofacial discomfort, temporomandibular disorders, and craniofacial morphometrics. The most recent frontier in the era of genomic medicine has been reached with gene therapies and CRISPR/Cas gene editing. There are a number of obstacles to overcome and chances to seize as genomics advances quickly. The increase of practitioner and public genomics literacy, the promotion of individual and population oral health, and the eradication of inequities are only a few of the important systematic initiatives required to fully fulfil the potential of genomics