Subject matter changes in the dental curriculum: A scoping review of the last two decades

In recent years, dental education has witnessed significant advancements and curriculum shifts in response to evolving healthcare needs, technological advances, and changing societal demands. As a result, dental universities worldwide have undergone substantial curriculum changes to ensure the adequate education and training of future dental professionals. The purpose of this study was to delineate the curriculum innovations over the past 20 years, with a focus on content within the current dental curriculum at universities worldwide.

The articles reviewed for this manuscript were published from 2000 to June 2023. Search queries were conducted in four databases: Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, and ERIC, yielding 367 unique studies. Of these, 31 were included in the final synthesis.

The nine principal subject matter themes identified in the thematic analysis of these articles were critical scientific thinking, computational thinking, global mindset, geriatric dental care, interprofessional teamwork, transition to practice, local community, integration, and lifelong learning. The themes were modeled and mapped in a three-axis figure, elucidating the interconnections between the themes.

The identified themes signify the trajectory that dental education has taken and provide insights into the future course of the dental profession.