Bridging the gap in implant dentistry education: Perspectives from Malaysia's graduating dental cohort.

To investigate the teaching of repair versus the replacement of defective direct composite resin restorations in undergraduate curricula in Malaysian dental schools. A 24-item validated questionnaire, including closed and open questions regarding the teaching of repair versus the replacement of direct composite resin restorations (DCRs) was emailed to faculty members in all 13 dental schools in Malaysia. Responses were compiled in Excel and analysed. The questionnaire asked about the inclusion of DCR repair in the curriculum, the underlying reasons for its inclusion, the methods employed for teaching, the indications for repair, the operative techniques and materials used, the acceptability of repairs to patients, the anticipated longevity of repairs, and recall arrangements. All 13 dental schools completed and returned the questionnaire, reporting that composite repairs were taught as an alternative to the replacement of defective DCRs. All schools imparted theoretical and practical knowledge of repair within a clinical context. Twelve dental schools (92 %) agreed that the primary objective of teaching repair is the preservation of tooth structure. The principal reasons for repair were marginal defects (84 %), followed by marginal discoloration and partial loss of restoration (61 %). All 13 schools reported a high level of patient acceptance, which they regarded as a strong indicator. Eleven dental schools (84 %) reported recall arrangements to review repairs of DCRs. All undergraduate dental students in Malaysia are taught the use of repairs as an alternative to the replacement of defective DCRs. The advantages of this approach are considered in Malaysian dental schools to include, minimum intervention and preservation of tooth structure, with opportunity for time and cost savings. Further research should include the development of consensus criteria for the repair rather than replacement of defective DCRs and long-term clinical trials to further investigate the benefits of repair over the replacement of defective DCRs. With all undergraduate dental students being taught the use of DCR repairs, the percentage of defective DCRs in Malaysia managed by means of a repair may be anticipated to increase in years to come. The cumulative effects of this increase may contribute to the conservation of teeth, with opportunity for cost savings.

To evaluate and compare the feedback of final year undergraduate dental students in eight Malaysian dental schools on the application of a new system for classifying root canal morphology in teaching and clinical practice. One PowerPoint presentation describing two classification systems for root canal morphology (Oral Surgery Oral Medicine Oral Pathology, 1974 38, 456 and its supplemental configurations, International Endodontic Journal 2017, 50, 761) was delivered to final year undergraduate dental students in eight dental schools in Malaysia by two presenters (each presented to four schools). To examine students' feedback on the utility of each system, printed questionnaires consisting of six questions (five multiple choice questions and one open-ended question) were distributed and collected after the lecture. The questionnaire was designed to compare the classification systems in terms of accuracy, practicability, understanding of root canal morphology and recommendation for use in pre-clinical and clinical courses. The exact test was used for statistical analysis, with the level of significance set at 0.05 (P=0.05). A total of 382 (out of 447) students participated giving a response rate of 86%. More than 90% of students reported that the new system was more accurate and more practical compared with the Vertucci system (P<0.001). Overall, 97% of students reported the new system helped their understanding of root and canal morphology compared with the Vertucci classification (P<0.001). Over 97% of students recommended the use of the new system in teaching, pre-clinical courses and clinical practice (P<0.001). Except for two schools, no significant difference was detected between the responses of students for all questions at the different schools (P>0.05). The students' responses for all questions were almost similar for both presenters (P>0.05). The new system of International Endodontic Journal 2017, 50, 761 for classifying root and canal morphology was favoured by final year undergraduate dental students in Malaysia. The new system has the potential to be included in the undergraduate endodontic curriculum for teaching courses related to root and canal morphology.

BackgroundIt is important to understand the career motivations and perceptions of students who intend to become dental health professionals. Both dental and dental hygiene students may have different opinions about the profession and future work prospects. To our knowledge, no study has compared the career motivations and career perceptions of Japanese dental and dental hygiene students after admission to dental or dental hygiene school. This cross-sectional study examined the motivations of dental and dental hygiene students for their future career perceptions. MethodsFirst-year students of dental and dental hygiene schools in the academic years 2021 and 2022 participated in the study. Group 1 comprised 104 female dental hygiene students, Group 2−1 comprised 55 female dental students, and Group 2–2 comprised 61 male dental students. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on opinions of the work and prospects of future work with four-point Likert scales ranging from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” according to the items.ResultsDental hygiene students consider that they would like to work as professionals and would also like to earn efficiently. Specifically, female dental students prioritized contributing to society by working long-term in a fulfilling environment rather than earning an income, whereas male dental students would like to work as a professional while also effectively earning income.ConclusionsSmall but significant differences were found in opinions of the dental hygienist/dentist profession in terms of attractiveness and credibility. Small but significant differences were found for income and working hours when considering future job prospects. The results of this study revealed differences in the first year students between dental and dental hygiene school in their attitudes toward career motivation and prospects for future work.

BackgroundWork-related musculoskeletal disorders are one of the main occupational health hazards affecting dental practitioners. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorder (WMSD) amongst dental students. Possible correlations with the working environment and ergonomics taught in Malaysian dental schools were also sought.MethodsFive dental schools in Malaysia participated in this cross-sectional study. A validated self-administered questionnaire was used to establish the point prevalence of WMSD in the dental students based on various body regions. The questionnaire also collected data regarding the working environment, clinical practice and the taught ergonomics of the students during their training years.ResultsOut of five hundred and sixty eight dental students who participated in the study, 410 were in their clinical years whilst 158 were students in their non- clinical years. Ninety three percent of the clinical year students reported symptoms of WMSD in one or more body regions. Female students reported a significantly higher numbers of symptoms compared to male students. The neck (82%) and lower back (64%) were reported to have the highest prevalence of WMSD. Discomfort in the neck region was found to be associated with self-reported frequency of bending of the neck. A majority of students (92%) reported minimum participation in workshops related to ergonomics in dentistry and 77% were unfamiliar with treatment and remedies available in the case of WMSD.ConclusionsThere was more WMSD seen in dental students who had started their clinical years. Neck and lower back are more injury prone areas and are at increased risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. Theory and practice of ergonomics should be incorporated into the dental undergraduate curriculum.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted dental education and affected students' oral health and overall well-being. This study explored the impact of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) among Malaysian undergraduate dental students during the pandemic. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 530 students from nine dental schools in Malaysia using the validated Oral Health Impacts Profile-14 (OHIP-14) questionnaire. The OHIP-14 measures functional and psychosocial disabilities caused by oral health issues. The average OHIP-14 score was 10.86 ± 8.47, with 21.3% of students reporting impacts on their OHRQoL. The most affected subscales were psychological discomfort (38.2%), psychological disability (26.9%), and physical pain (22.2%). There were no significant differences in daily performance difficulties between preclinical and clinical students. This study highlights the significant impact of the pandemic on Malaysian dental students' OHRQoL, particularly in psychological and physical aspects. Dental educators and policymakers should prioritize strategies to support students' oral health and overall well-being during such challenging times.

The authors describe the impact of the Title VII, Section 747 Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry (Title VII) grant program on the development, growth, and expansion of general and pediatric dentistry residency programs in the United States. They first briefly review the legislative history of the Title VII program as it pertains to dental education, followed by a historical overview of dental education in the United States, including a description of the differences between dental and medical education and the routes to professional practice. The authors then present an extensive assessment of the role of the Title VII grant program in building general and pediatric dental training capacity, diversifying the dental workforce, providing outreach and service to underserved and vulnerable populations, stimulating innovations in dental education, and engaging collaborative and interdisciplinary training with medicine. Finally, the authors call for broadening the scope of the Title VII program to allow for predoctoral training (dental student education) and faculty development in general and pediatric dentistry. In doing so, the Title VII program can more effectively address current and future challenges in dental education, dentist workforce, and disparities in oral health and access to care.This article is part of a theme issue of Academic Medicine on the Title VII health professions training programs.

ObjectiveTo investigate the current and future teaching of posterior composite restorations in undergraduate curricula in Malaysian dental schools. MethodsA 24-item validated questionnaire including closed and open questions on the teaching of posterior composites was emailed to faculty members in all 13 Dental Schools in Malaysia. Responses were compiled on Excel and analysed. ResultsAll 13 dental schools responded to the survey yielding a 100 % response. All schools indicated the use of posterior composites for 2- and 3-surface cavities in premolars and molars. The didactic teaching time devoted to composites was greater than for amalgam (38 h vs 29 h). Clinically, most posterior restorations placed by students were composites (average 74.1 %, range 10 %–100 %); the remaining 25.9 % were amalgams (range, 0 %–50 %). Slot-type cavities were the preparation techniques most commonly taught (n = 11,84.6 %). The use of rubber dam for moisture control was mandatory in most schools (n = 11, 84.6 %). History of adverse reaction to composites was found to be the most common contraindication to composite placement. The phase down of teaching and use of amalgam in Malaysia is expected to occur within the next six years. ConclusionThe trend to increase the teaching of posterior composites reported for other countries is confirmed by the findings from Malaysian dental schools. Notwithstanding this trend, the use of amalgam is still taught, and future studies are required to investigate the implications of the phase down of amalgam in favour of posterior composites. Clinical significanceNotwithstanding the increase in the teaching of posterior composites there is a pressing need to update and refine clinical guidelines for the teaching of posterior composites globally.

Business education for dental professionals: How much is enough?

Dental education in the United States has gone through several major changes from the beginnings of dentistry as a trade or vocation learned through apprenticeships or on-the-job training or practiced by self-taught barber surgeons to the current system of dental school training. The evolution to the pinnacle of excellence in restorative and preventive arts did not happen overnight or by accident. Dr Horace H. Hayden and Dr Chapin A. Harris, two dental practitioners in Baltimore, Maryland, were instrumental in founding the first dental school in the world, the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery, in 1840. This served as a prototype for the formation of dental schools in other American cities, which, in turn, led to the development of a formal foundation for dental education in America.

Invited commentary: The need for human genetics and genomics in dental school curricula.

Online survey was conducted to investigate the state of undergraduate endodontic clinical training in Malaysian dental schools. An online questionnaire and a cover letter were emailed to the deans of 13 Malaysian dental schools. The questionnaire covers various aspects of endodontic clinical training including teaching methods, endodontic clinical procedures, minimum requirements, clinical sessions and teaching staff. The response rate was 69%. Similarities in teaching methods were observed in all responding schools. All schools taught contemporary root canal treatment procedures, including the utilisation of radiograph and electronic apex locator for working length determination, the crown-down approach for canal preparation and the cold lateral compaction for obturation. Sodium hypochlorite solution and non-setting calcium hydroxide medicament were used in most dental schools. Variations were observed in terms of the number of clinical requirements, supervisor: student ratio, and availability of endodontic specialists. The use of engine-driven instruments was observed mainly in government-funded dental schools. The majority of dental schools in Malaysia are adopting the European Society Endodontology recommendation for undergraduate endodontic training, particularly in relation to the surveyed aspects. Most of the government-funded dental schools have progressed towards engaging contemporary endodontics with their increasing application of engine-driven Ni-Ti instruments and 3D imaging techniques. Appointments of full-time endodontic specialists would further enhance the quality of endodontic teaching and permit the utilisation of contemporary endodontic materials.

To investigate the antibiotic prescribing training received by dental students, clinical experience in treating child patients, awareness of antibiotic prescribing guidelines, preparedness in antibiotic prescribing, and compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines for the management of dental infections in children. This was a cross-sectional study involving final year dentals students from Malaysian and Asian dental schools. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of five clinical case scenarios was e-mailed to all final year students at selected dental schools. Students' responses were compared for each clinical case scenario with the prescribing guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Dental Association. Compliance in each scenario was tested for association with their preparedness in antibiotic prescribing, previous training on antibiotic prescribing and awareness of antibiotic prescribing guidelines using Chi-square test. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS statistics version 20. A total of 108 completed responses were received. About 74 (69%) students were from Malaysian dental schools. The compliance rate with prescribing guidelines ranged from 15.7% to 43.5%. Those attending Malaysian dental schools (47.3%) and those who had treated child patient more often (46.3%) were more likely (P < 0.05) to be aware of the guidelines. Those who had received antibiotic prescribing training (21.3%) were more likely to think they were well prepared in antibiotic prescribing (P < 0.05). Final year dental students had low awareness and compliance with antibiotic prescribing guidelines. Further research is needed to investigate how compliance with the guidelines may be enhanced.

Objectives: This study compared the empathic behaviour of first year to final year dental and medical students in Malaysia and explored whether academic training of dental and medical students increases their subjective empathic tendencies. Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 1020 first year to final year (fifth-year) undergraduate medical and dental students using a validated, self-administered Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Care Provider Student Version (JSE-HPS) questionnaire. The data were collected from first year to final year (fifth-year) students enrolled in Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree programs at 2 government-funded universities and one private university. Results: Dental students had a significantly higher total mean empathy score than medical students (84.11 versus 81.96, p &lt; 0.05). However, medical students had a narrow actual score range (59.35 - 133.35) than dental (22.05 - 133.35) students. Males (Medical: 82.57, Dental: 84.97) and students of Malay origin (Medical: 82.52, Dental: 85.11) were more empathic than females and students of other ethnic origins. The results also indicate that third-year medical students (mean: 82.95) and fourth-year dental students (mean: 86.36) were more empathic than students in other professional years.Conclusions: We recommend the use of some form of active training and assessment to assist in the development of empathy in medical and dental students. Medical and dental schools should place more emphasis on teaching empathic communication.

BACKGROUND:Behavioral addiction to smartphones is a common phenomenon in the present digital age, wherein indulgence in these devices is compulsive and impacts physical, social, and psychological health of the population. The smartphones effect on a dental student's life is detrimental to their academics, health, and efficiency in providing clinical patient care. To assess use and addiction of smartphones among dental students under six major domains and to compare this based on their gender, ethnicity, and year of study.MATERIALS AND METHODS:A cross-sectional study using a validated questionnaire, Smartphone addiction scale was conducted among 349 undergraduate students (N = 349) at a private dental school in Malaysia.RESULTS:Overall results are presented as mean scores under six domains with total score as 142.40 (33.65). The total scores compared between two genders did not show statistical difference, however on comparing individual domains, females (25.25) had higher mean score for daily life disturbance (P = 0.013) and males (30.17) for cyberspace-oriented relationship (P = 0.001). Chinese students had higher scores with respect to withdrawal (32.45) and cyberspace-oriented relationship (29.48) as compared to other ethnicities. Year 4 students show higher scores than other years in daily life disturbance (27.44), tolerance (16.81), and overuse (16.51).CONCLUSION:Our research presents the extent and pattern of smartphone of usage and addiction among the undergraduate students at a dental school in Malaysia. The indicators of addiction highlighted in the study are pivotal in spreading awareness regarding this overuse and addiction as well as planning further research in this area.

Our world is changing, and with it, academic dentistry must think and act anew! Dental education in the United States and Canada is challenged to produce a culturally and structurally competent workforce that will serve the needs of an aging population and the expectations of an increasingly globally connected and diverse society. As these two countries become even more racially/ethnically diverse, dental education must also increase the number of students of color graduating and entering the oral health professions and expand opportunities for historically underrepresented and marginalized groups to enter the academic ranks and assume leadership positions. Additionally, dental schools play a major role in advancing the care and treatment of underserved and disadvantaged populations. Through their triad missions of education, research, and service, the 68 US dental schools, excluding the four provisional schools, serve as dental “safety nets” for those who lack access to care in the dental private practice system. Since 2011, new dental schools now exist in California, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah, and additional dental schools are in the planning stages. These new institutions have an opportunity to improve health equity through increased community engagement and academic/community partnerships. Important to their mission, dental schools also serve as bastions for biomedical and behavioral research and transformative curriculum changes that will use newer technology from research and discovery. America has one of the best oral health care delivery systems in the world, as evidenced by outcomes such as a longer lifespan with tooth retention, fluoridated water resulting in a 60% reduction in dental caries, and Americans valuing their oral health as seen in increased annual visits to the dentist for preventive and restorative care.1 However, these data are valid for those who can afford and access dental care. The United States Public Health Service (USPHS) identifies 6803 Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (DHPSAs) where access to dental care is minimal or missing. An estimated 64 million adults and children reside in these DHPSAs. Additionally, the USPHS estimates that 11,181 more dentists are needed for a dentist-to-U.S.-population ratio of 1:3000.1 The practice of dentistry is changing. As with medicine, dentistry is seeing a decline in solo practice models. Only 24% of the 1381 graduating respondents to the 2021 ADEA Survey of US Dental School Seniors indicated they plan to enter solo practice.2 New dental professionals are emerging, such as dental therapists and community dental health coordinators. New practice models exist in Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Minnesota, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. Three seminal reports, Dental Education at the Crosswords: Challenges and Change,3 Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General,4 and Missing Persons: Minorities in Health Professions,5 continue to influence dental education policy and trends, especially related to health equity, disparities, and access to dental care. Additionally, the 2021 release of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) report, Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges, serves as a foundation for additional work in these areas.6 On the global health agenda, oral health is no longer a neglected issue. Approximately 3.5 million people throughout the world suffer from oral health diseases, and most of these individuals are socioeconomically disadvantaged or live in poverty. Furthermore, 10% of the world's population has severe periodontal (gum) disease, and globally, an estimated 530 million children suffer from dental caries of primary teeth.7 To call attention to this important issue, the World Health Organization's World Health Assembly adopted a May 2021 resolution on oral health, which also recognizes the intersections between oral health and achieving other United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as goal three on health and well-being.8 Additionally, it calls for the development of a framework that aligns oral health and noncommunicable diseases with universal health coverage agendas.9 Within the United States, the Healthy People 2030 initiative (US Department of Health and Human Services) also challenges our ability to reduce caries and improve oral health care.10 As more and more dental education faculty and administrators retire, academic dentistry must address succession planning, improve the representation of historically underrepresented persons in the academic ranks, and strengthen the belongingness factor for women, people of color, and marginalized groups. We must have hard conversations about gender equity and parity, antiracism, immigration, individuals with disabilities/abilities, social determinants of health, universal healthcare, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community. These difficult conversations must include actionable plans with accountability measures and transparency. We must use the data from ADEA's recent climate study of U.S. and Canadian dental schools and allied dental education programs, and other data, to create a culture of respect and design strategies that truly ensure a welcoming, safe, just, and humanistic environment in which all students, faculty, staff, residents, and fellows can succeed and have the resources to become their best. We must not only tangibly demonstrate that we believe in faculty inclusivity, but that the doors of academic dentistry are truly open to everyone. Furthermore, dental education must develop collective partnerships and networks to better invest in and provide more accessible oral health care and considerably expand the equitable pathways and opportunities to become oral healthcare professionals. This issue of the Journal of Dental Education (JDE) forces us to look back as we face not only current and post-pandemic health equity challenges, but also the disruptions which have rocked our society over the last several years and launched major new movements, such as MeToo, Black Lives Matter, Neurodiversity, and Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate. However, throughout this issue we also look forward to the future, imagining 21st-century leadership and envisioning an educational system that graduates students who not only have 21st-century competencies but who can address 21st-century complexities. ADEA's initiative “New Thinking for the New Century” is primed to help us embrace these changes and challenges. Lessons from our nation's history, dental education, world events, and current and post-pandemic health equity and economic challenges provide opportunities for transformative changes. Together, we must develop more integrated and resilient health systems and develop strategies to provide more inclusive and humanistic environments in dental education. Opportunities to catalyze institutional changes exist in interprofessional education (IPE), curriculum changes involving academic-community partnerships for community empowerment (ACE), diversifying dental education (DDE), research and technology development (RTD), and academic leadership reimagining (ALR). IPE: Opportunities for curriculum changes exist that improve graduates’ cultural and structural competency and increase access to equitable and affordable healthcare for the underserved. In 1997, only two dental schools had active IPE. Today, IPE is an accreditation mandate that affects all accredited dental schools. Additionally, IPE creates critical connections among students and residents in different health professions and provides early foundational team-based training. This foundational team-based learning provides the building blocks to advance future culturally competent patient-centered models that truly integrate oral, mental, behavioral, and primary health to improve access, patient safety, and treatment quality for persons living in poor, rural, and underresourced communities. ACE: Opportunities exist for sustainable academic-community partnerships that support educational goals and provide dental care to communities via outreach services by dental and dental hygiene students and faculty. The ADEA/W.K. Kellogg Foundation Minority Dental Faculty Development and Inclusion Program provided a model for sustainable partnerships that include pipeline and pathway recruitment, foundation and corporate support for institutional changes, and other resources. DDE: Opportunities to create a more inclusive and humanistic environment across dental education exist not only by participating in the ADEA climate study but through strategic planning and engaging in collective efforts to address key findings. Additionally, expanding pathway initiatives, such as the Summer Health Professions Education Program and the Texas A&M College of Dentistry's Bridge to Dentistry program, provide academic enrichment and career development opportunities to K-16 students who are historically underrepresented in dentistry. The ADEA Faculty Diversity Toolkit is a guide for dental education to develop faculty recruitment and retention plans to address related barriers and challenges.11 ADEA's new strategic recruitment plan, combined with the implementation of a new customer relationship management platform, will allow us to personalize outreach and connect to more diverse students. ADEA's efforts to bring the academic health professions together to increase the number of men of color entering dentistry and other health professions are also important avenues by which we seek to improve access and health equity in the United States. RTD: Opportunities exist for increased collaboration between the NIH and US dental schools through traditional research funding and community-based research grants that focus on improving the health of communities of color. An effort to include more dental schools in program project/center grants will increase patient-centered research and data outcomes. Salivary diagnosis, implantology, artificial intelligence, and robotics offer new avenues for dental discovery, translational research, and research collaboration. ALR: Reimagining leadership training in dental education will be a challenge for the ADEA Leadership Institute, Student Diversity Leadership Program, and other ADEA leadership development programs. Programs such as the Enid A. Neidle Scholar-in-Residence Program for women and the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program at Drexel University will continue to play a major role in developing academic leadership pipeline and pathway programs for the future. The ADEA Chapters for Students, Residents, and Fellows and ADEA's Academic Dental Careers Fellowship Program provide support and training for students interested in academic careers. Reimagining leadership, mentoring, and training programs will increase effective, collaborative, and diverse pathways to academic leadership in the future. Additionally, these mentoring and leadership development programs continue to serve important roles and progress has been made in some areas. For example, at the time of our writing, 25 (30%) of the deans (interim and permanent) at the 82 US and Canadian dental schools (including the four provisional schools) were women.12 In 2022, among deans (interim and permanent) at the 72 US dental schools (including the four provisional schools), 20 (28%) were women.12 Additionally, in 2022, 14 (19%) of the 72 US dental school deans (interim and permanent), including the four provisional schools, were people of color.12 In terms of student diversity at the 68 US dental schools (excluding the four provisional schools), 56% of the 2021 dental school first-time enrollees were women, and 20% of first-time enrollees were from historically underrepresented racially/ethnically diverse student populations.13 Although these numbers show some progress, they also reflect the important work that still needs to be done to expand leadership opportunities, implement succession planning strategies, and increase the number of historically underrepresented and marginalized students, faculty, staff, residents, and fellows in leadership positions throughout all facets of academic dentistry and oral health. The global pandemic has created a crisis with opportunities for collaboration similar to the period of innovation following World War II when battles were won against diseases such as smallpox, diphtheria, and polio. Additionally, dental educational institutions have the chance to not only expand upon gender equality but also lead in framing the dialogue on race and ethnicity to advance health equity and improve pathways and opportunities for historically underrepresented and marginalized students, fellows, faculty, staff, and residents. We do not know where new science, globalization, artificial intelligence, geo-political shifts, cyber threats, innovation, and societal challenges will lead us. However, we do know that global collaboration and resources will be required to build resilient health systems in the future that eliminate disease and promote good health and well-being for all. This includes dental education and oral health organizations working closely with governments, civil societies, the academic health professions, and other key health care and research stakeholders to address the increasing impact of climate threats and environmentally adverse health risks that are disproportionately impacting our most vulnerable populations and overall public health.14, 15 Additionally, our collective efforts will be required to create more inclusive, humanistic, accessible, and equitable environments throughout dental education where each person thrives, feels a strong connection, and has a sense of belonging. Let us, therefore, use this issue of the JDE for personal and institutional reflection to sharpen our moral imaginations and strengthen our dedication to inclusivity and our commitment to health equity. Most of all, let these pages challenge us to both think and act new! The authors have no conflicts of interests. This article is published in the Journal of Dental Education as part of a special issue. Manuscripts for this issue were solicited by invitation and peer reviewed. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not represent the Journal of Dental Education or the American Dental Education Association.