Challenges and opportunities in preparing dentists for primary care

Area of Science:

• Oral health and its connection to systemic diseases.
• Advancements in dental diagnostics and salivary diagnostics for systemic disease detection.

Background:

• Growing recognition of the oral-systemic disease link fuels interest in integrating dental providers into the broader healthcare system.
• Technological progress presents opportunities but also challenges for dental educators due to competing interests.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the challenges and opportunities in dental education.
• To examine the impact of technological advancements and accreditation processes on dental curricula.
• To propose a shift in assessment models to better prepare dentists for primary care roles.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the current state of dental education in the United States.
• Evaluation of the role of economic factors and accreditation in curricular innovation.
• Discussion of the potential benefits of transitioning from competency-based assessment to Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs).

Main Results:

• Dental education faces challenges integrating new technologies and expanding the dentist's role.
• Accreditation processes and economic factors significantly influence curricular changes.
• The shift towards Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) is identified as a potential catalyst for reform.

Conclusions:

• Dental education must adapt to integrate oral health with systemic health.
• Implementing Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) can enhance training for dentists as primary care providers.
• Addressing challenges in accreditation and economics is crucial for successful curriculum innovation.