Developing appropriate dental education systems: the impact of changes in oral health status and oral health care systems
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Updated: Oct 28, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
D Y Samarawickrama1, P A Batchelor, M H Hobdell
1Royal London School of Medicine and Dentistry, UK.
Abstract:
Current education programmes for oral health care workers have failed to adapt to the changing oral health status and the changing demands made upon oral health care systems. In order to adapt, education systems need to recognise the forces that are influencing the demands on the oral health care system and identify the most appropriate solutions. The most logical solution is to develop programmes which reflect the Primary Health Care Approach (PHCA), and in particular emphasise inter-sectorial collaboration. The challenge for dental education systems is to identify mechanisms through which these principles can be applied.
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