Thinking ecologically about clinical education in dentistry.

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Healthcare Systems
• Stakeholder Theory

Background:

• Traditional clinical education (CE) in dentistry focuses on student-centred, patient-centred, or person-centred approaches.
• Prioritizing one stakeholder's interests in CE can negatively impact other stakeholders, including patients, instructors, and administrators.
• Existing CE models may not adequately address the complex, interdependent relationships within the dental education environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss the limitations of traditional approaches to clinical education in dentistry.
• To propose an eco-centred approach for clinical education in dentistry.
• To encourage research and innovation in developing ecologically informed CE systems.

Main Methods:

• This commentary discusses limitations of traditional clinical education (CE) in dentistry.
• It proposes an eco-centred approach for CE planning.
• It outlines the principles of an eco-centred model for dental education.

Main Results:

• Traditional CE approaches focused on single stakeholder needs can create conflicts and negatively affect other parties.
• An eco-centred approach recognizes the interdependence of all stakeholders (students, patients, instructors, administrators).
• Considering all stakeholder interests is crucial for effective CE planning and implementation.

Conclusions:

• An eco-centred approach offers a more holistic and effective framework for clinical education in dentistry.
• Integrating the needs of all stakeholders is essential for a balanced and successful dental CE system.
• Further research and innovation are needed to implement and refine ecologically informed dental CE.