UNDERGRADUATE IMPLANT EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND DENTAL SCHOOLS

Abstract

Background: The teaching of implants within dental schools in Australia and New Zealand has responded to the challenges of providing students with the most contemporary and evidence-based forms of dental treatment. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the history and current status of oral implant teaching in undergraduate (or pre-doctoral) dental programmes in Australia and New Zealand, compared with dental schools from Europe and North America. Methods: A written questionnaire was sent out to all the dental schools across Australia and New Zealand in 2006 and repeated in 2008 to gather information relating to the content, delivery, and assessment of implant programmes. In addition,a review of the literature on implant education was undertaken via a Medline search. Results: All six dental schools surveyed in 2006 and all seven schools surveyed in 2008 indicated that they delivered implant programmes at an undergraduate level. The schools varied significantly in 2006 in the content of their programmes; however, these differences were less significant in 2008. A review of the literature revealed similar trends in North America and Europe, albeit at an earlier stage compared to Australia and New Zealand. Conclusions: Dental schools within Australia and New Zealand have responded appropriately to the increasing need for dental implant education. Future developments in implant programmes need to address the multi-disciplinary nature of implant treatment as well as incorporate newly recognized standards of care by equipping students with the necessary skills to evaluate the evidence.