ADA.org: Future of Dentistry Full Report

FUTURE OFDENTISTRY

the like. This may not be the only organization of
its kind but its very existence portends that global-
ization of health systems is a trend that is likely to
affect oral health.
Large segments of the world's population live in
developing countries that have few professionally
trained health providers of any kind, and little
access to oral health care. These populations in par-
ticular need the industrialized world to provide them
affordable prevention products and to help them
develop treatment services that can be delivered by
health workers already in the communities in need.
Teledentistry for remote site care should parallel
and augment the trend for telemedicine and tele-
health, which is also applicable for delivery of home
health care and geriatric services.

FUTURE CHANGES IN DENTAL EDUCATION

Dental Curricula

u The European Union DentEd project has resulted
in dental school visitations by international teams of
educators, which in turn pull together intellectual
resources across nations to focus on issues of dental
curricula. This trend toward purposeful sharing of
materials may lead to electronicaccess to curricula.
Joint visitations also seem to be considering strate-
gic planning and outcome assessment tools that can
be used universally (see http://www.dented-global.org)..)

u Use of problem-based learning in dental school
curricula is increasing, though it will be many years
before the evidence validating this approachwill be
available. Comparative analysis of the effectiveness
of these approaches to learning will provide valu-
able insights for United States educators as dental
curricular materials continue to be updated.

u Extensions in the lifespan globally will require
that curricula incorporate material on the special
needs of the aging patient presented with several
diseases/conditions, and that graduates of dental
professional schools be prepared for multiple
career options given that the length of active work life
is likely to increase.

Dental Personnel

u Accreditation of non-U.S. dental schools by the
State of California might be viewed as a precedent

that will enable graduates of those accredited insti-

tutions to circumvent the requirement to matricu-

late in a United States dental school for 2 years prior

to licensure examination.

u The high cost of dental education in some coun-

tries has precipitated the training of other less cost-

ly personnel, such as dental nurses, to provide

needed preventive and restorative services in some

countries in the South Pacific, Asia, Africa, and the

Caribbean.

uBecause of the severe shortage of faculty in United

States dental schools, the search for clinical and

research faculty has increasingly looked to the glob-

al market, a trend likely to continue because of dif-

ficulties in recruiting United States dental students

to advanced academic training (Haden et al, 2000).

Legislative initiatives in Congress are pushing to

exempt highly skilled professionals working in uni-

versities from current limitations on the number of

visas available. While some of these efforts are driv-

en by shortages in personnel with highly technical

computer skills, it is conceivable that similar legisla-

tive initiatives might permit more flexible visa poli-

cies for university faculty in the health sciences.

Distance Education

u Dental education and continuing competency

education should be well positioned to take advan-

tage of the technology revolution. Distanceshould no

longer be an impediment to students, faculty, or cli-

nicians in any location. Individual schools will be

able to provide certain courses directly, based on

availability of expertise. When direct provision is

not possible, they will be able to fill in voids through

electronic communication. Faculty members of the

more advanced dental schools can be available to less

advantaged schools via televised sessions, CD-

ROMs, and other electronic methods. It should not

be necessary to recreate each time a course is devel-

oped. Use of these technologies not only will

improve the quality of education in schools

throughout the world but also will enable faster

development of new schools and will facilitate

access to continuing education.

uTechnology also will benefit international dental

education in the area of information storage and

access. Many non-U.S. dental schools, hospitals,

Global Oral Health