The responsibilities and role of universities in dental manpower

Although other educational facilities are needed for developing the oral health manpower team, universities have the primary role in educating the dentist. The need for a curriculum based on fundamental research which is responsive to the needs of society is essential for the future development of the profession. Oral health manpower plans should be dependent upon the type of service designed for a country and an appropriate mix of manpower should be developed. By the collection, monitoring and interpretation of epidemiological data, universities have a major role to play in the forecasting of trends. Relevance of programmes within universities in health matters must be made more apparent to the community, especially when financial restriction in both health services and higher education are being felt. A national planning programme, centrally managed to include national associations, government, universities and interested parties, is essential if the relevance of oral health manpower is to be maintained.