The dental educator. An endangered species

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Academic Medicine
• Health Professions Education

Background:

• The dental education field faces a critical shortage of educators.
• This decline is partly due to a failure to communicate the benefits of academic careers to potential candidates.
• A lack of awareness regarding financial incentives like loan forgiveness further exacerbates the issue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical decline in dental educators.
• To emphasize the need for proactive measures to support and recruit dental educators.
• To underscore the shared responsibility in addressing this crisis.

Main Methods:

• The study is a conceptual analysis and call to action based on observations within dental education.
• It emphasizes the importance of personal communication and sharing experiences to promote academic careers.
• It advocates for collaborative financial strategies and the integration of educational technologies.

Main Results:

• A significant decrease in the number of dental educators is evident.
• Current efforts to promote academic careers are insufficient.
• Ignoring this trend will have detrimental consequences for the entire dental profession.

Conclusions:

• Urgent, collaborative action is required from practitioners, educators, industry, and government.
• Implementing loan forgiveness programs and specialized training is essential.
• Adopting new educational technologies can enhance the role of dental educators and improve the quality of education.