Global Trends in Non-Technical Skills Research in Dental Education: Bibliometric Review and a Curricular Case Study

Non-technical (soft) skills such as communication, professionalism, leadership and cultural competence are essential elements of patient-centred care, yet their integration into dental curricula remains inconsistent. To our knowledge, no bibliometric study has systematically mapped these global trends, leaving gaps in understanding and research. This study aimed to (i) conduct a comprehensive bibliometric mapping of global research trends on non-technical (soft) skills in dental education, highlighting thematic patterns, underrepresented domains and geographic disparities and (ii) demonstrate how these insights can be mapped to the curriculum, illustrated through an implementation case study from a Faculty of Dentistry in Thailand.

We conducted a bibliometric analysis of English-language articles and reviews from Scopus (upto February 9, 2025). Studies were included if they focused on non-technical (soft) skills training or assessment for dental students, faculty or practitioners. Using VOSviewer, Microsoft Excel and GraphPad Prism, the publication trends, sources, citations, geographic distribution and keyword co-occurrence were analysed. The quantitative findings were directly applied to contextualise a curriculum mapping exercise at the Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.

Analysis of 546 publications revealed a 40% increase in annual output over the last decade. Research was highly concentrated in high-income countries, led by the United States, with Africa and South America collectively contributing a meagre < 5%. Keyword analysis identified five thematic domains: i) professionalism/leadership, ii) communication skills, iii) personality/emotional intelligence, iv) education/assessment and v) behavioural sciences. Significant thematic disparities were evident, with communication skills being the dominant element while leadership, cultural competence and entrepreneurship were markedly underrepresented. Citation patterns mirrored these imbalances. The case study from Thailand served as an illustrative model demonstrating the integration of these underrepresented skills, such as leadership, conflict resolution and cultural sensitivity, across a 6-year curriculum through diverse pedagogical and assessment strategies.

This study provides the bibliometric map of non-technical (soft) skills research in dental education, revealing not only growth but also profound geographic and thematic imbalances. More importantly, it moves beyond analysis to present a dual-method framework: using global data to identify critical gaps and then providing a replicable model for curriculum intervention. This approach offers dental educators a data-driven blueprint for designing equitable, comprehensive and contextually relevant curricula that prepare graduates for the complex demands of modern healthcare.