The crisis in endodontic education: current perspectives and strategies for change

The current status of dental education in the United States and Canada with respect to faculty recruitment and retention is reviewed; poor salaries and lack of interest are major reasons for dwindling numbers. The pros and cons of an academic career and what the American Association of Endodontists' (AAE) and other constituencies have done to help alleviate the problem are presented. The results of an on-line survey to full-time endodontic educators on their perspectives on education are presented; personal fulfillment, sharing knowledge, giving back to the profession, and passion for teaching were reasons for teaching whereas income disparity, lack of mentoring, and high demands of the job were reasons against an academic career. The final phase of the paper proposes various strategies on how the AAE and its membership, dental schools, and the American Board of Endodontics (ABE) can further work together to alleviate the critical problems facing endodontic education.