Dental education toward 2050 in Korea

Abstract

Modern dentistry began as a descendant of barber-surgeons. In 1728, Fauchard of France published Dentist (Le chirurgien dentiste au traité des dents), who defined the scope and nature of modern dentistry. In 1926, Gies of the United States proposed the standardization of the dental curriculum and set goals for dentist education. However, although the framework of the dental curriculum proposed by Gies was excellent, that was ahead of his time, nearly 100 years have already passed. Therefore, we would like to predict the changes in oral care in about 30 years from now in 2024, and look for clues to the direction of change in dental education in Korea accordingly.</br>Due to changes in technology, it is expected that teaching methods using virtual and augmented reality will be universally implemented in dental education. Artificial intelligence is expected to be widely applied in dental care system. The relationship between oral health and systemic health will become clearer, and the importance of preventive dentistry will be further emphasized. The use of digital dentistry and 3D printing is expected to increase, and related education is needed. The dental education system should go beyond the scope of barber dentists and consider further on periodontics and systemic health. As interest in overall health and quality of life will increase, cooperation not only between dentists but also among other professionals such as medical doctors and para-medical/dental specialists will become common and the composition of the Korean population is expected to become diverse. The importance of leadership, communication, and cultural sensitivity in clinical care should be emphasized and educated. Ethics and professionalism must be prioritized in dental care, and students must be educated to become dentists. I think it may be more efficient to focus on improving educational competences and educational content rather than revolutionary change in the curriculum.</br>However, the current society is changing rapidly, and dental medicine at the time when students currently attending dental school become active dentists, will be different from what it is now, and dental education in Korea should be provided to prepare for this.