Contemporary educational methods in periodontology

Area of Science:

• Periodontology
• Dental Education
• Medical Education Technology

Background:

• The 2009 European Workshop on Periodontology established foundational competencies for periodontal education.
• The 2023 workshop addressed evolving educational methods, including pandemic-influenced changes and digital integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current knowledge on periodontal education methods across undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG), and continuing professional development (CPD) levels.
• To assess the impact of traditional, student-centered, virtual, and blended learning approaches.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature searches were conducted.
• Data were extracted and descriptively summarized.

Main Results:

• The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of online and blended learning in periodontal education.
• Student-centered methods, virtual classrooms, and blended approaches are effective for knowledge and skills acquisition.
• Virtual reality (VR) and haptic methods enhance the learning experience, particularly when combined with traditional teaching.

Conclusions:

• Blended learning, integrating virtual and traditional methods, is optimal for periodontal education at all levels (UG, PG, CPD).
• While digital innovations are valuable, the quality of the educator remains paramount for knowledge transfer.
• Further research is needed to evaluate the benefits of these approaches for knowledge, skills, and assessment.