Dental school leaders chart a path for the future of dental education

Nearly a century after the landmark Gies Report helped define modern dental education, leaders across the profession say another moment of transformation has arrived. Confronted by dental workforce shortages, persistent gaps in access to oral care, rising student debt, and disruptive technologies, dental school leaders are looking closely at how education must adapt to meet the needs of future patients and practitioners.

In early June, dental school deans and leaders from across the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom convened for the two-day Reimagining Dental Education summit at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) to identify actionable priorities for the profession. Participants explored how dental education can evolve to address workforce needs, improve access to care, strengthen academic career pathways, and prepare students for rapidly changing models of practice.

“I’m so pleased to welcome dental school deans and representatives of dental associations to devote two days from your very busy schedules to really look at these challenges and opportunities we have in dental education,” said HSDM Dean William Giannobile in his opening remarks.

The dental deans were joined by leaders from national dental and research organizations including the American Dental Association, American Dental Education Association, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research. The event was also supported by the non-profit CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, which focuses on equitable access to oral health. Together, the participants represented many of the organizations that shape dental education, research, policy, and clinical practice in the U.S., creating a unique forum for cross-cutting collaboration. 

Reimagining dental education for a new era

Giannobile noted that while progress has been made in the profession since the 1926 Gies Report advocated for dental education to be anchored in science and research, many foundational challenges remain unresolved. In addition, the profession faces new risks to federally funded research, international student enrollment, and growing dental deserts in many areas of the country. 

“Turbulence is the new normal,” said keynote speaker Eric McNulty, associate director for the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and instructor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. McNulty spoke about the challenges faced by higher education and in the current state of worldwide instability.

“When I talk about leading through uncertainty, I talk about meeting an uncertain future with hope, confidence, and agency,” McNulty said. He encouraged the dental leaders to focus on bringing people together and working across universities and associations to contribute to solutions.

From discussion to action

Inspired by their charge, the dental leaders convened in six working groups to develop actionable, consensus-driven recommendations around six priority areas: Access, Equity and the Oral Health Care Gap; Student Debt, Sustainability and Pathway Reform; Academic Career Pathways for Clinical Educators/Scientists; Interprofessional Education and Health System Integration; Leadership Development at Every Career Stage; and Technology and Practice Transformation.

The goal was to move beyond identifying challenges and toward creating a shared agenda for action.

“Time is of the essence,” said Ali Shazib, dean of High Point University Workman School of Dental Medicine, who served on the working group focused on student debt. “All of us know that our patients and our community, our healthcare system, and the debt of our learners are topics of paramount interest and importance. The gathering at this summit really provides a very strong opportunity for us as leaders to really put those issues at the top.”

Tackling student debt and workforce challenges

For many attendees, student debt emerged as one of the most urgent issues facing the profession because of its ripple effects on career choice, workforce diversity, and access to care. The current average debt load for dental graduates is around $313,000. With access to low-interest federal loans now capped, ensuring that students from all income backgrounds can continue to pursue careers in dentistry is critical to maintaining the future dental workforce.

The working group examined innovative educational models that could challenge the traditional eight-year educational pathway, looking at shorter pathways to complete dental degrees. They also explored funding streams beyond loans, including service-linked educational models that offer scholarship support from future employers.

Another pressure dental schools face is the recruitment and retention of dental faculty, especially given student debt burdens for candidates who could more easily pay off loans by entering clinical practice after dental school. Graduates carrying substantial educational debt may be less likely to pursue academic careers, even when they have a strong interest in teaching or research.

A working group on this topic explored ideas that could ease the path for students who are interested in academia. Recommendations ranged from strengthening mentorship opportunities to exploring financial incentives that would make academic careers more attractive and sustainable.

“The parent institutions of dental schools are pressured by financial constraints and faculty shortages, so it is an opportune time to really reimagine the things that we’re doing in dental education,” said Keith Mays, dean of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.

Preparing leaders for a changing profession

Hand in hand with fostering future faculty is leadership development. The deans agreed that it starts with preparing student leaders who will become future advocates for the profession.

Key conversations centered on developing clear leadership pathways from student training through mid-career and senior roles, and the imperative to prepare dental graduates for the impact of technology and new practice models, including AI-driven practice and corporate dentistry.

Leaders discussed how emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, are reshaping diagnosis, treatment planning, education, and practice management. At the same time, they examined broader changes in the profession, including the continued growth of dental service organizations and corporate practice models.

“The future of the dental profession lies in the next generation of students we educate,” said Linda Niessen, dean of Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine. “It’s really important to make sure we educate them and prepare them for 2050 and 2080.”

Breaking down silos to improve health

One theme that connected all six working groups was the need to break down long-standing silos between professions, institutions, and sectors to address challenges no single dental school can solve alone.

With dentistry often siloed from other health professions, many deans saw the opportunity to truly advance interprofessional education and health system integration to make cross-disciplinary collaboration a structural reality.

They also looked at ways to address the continued gap between unmet oral health needs and access to dental care. Acknowledging that dental schools need to enlist broader coalitions of health care leaders, policymakers, and advocates to elevate oral health as a critical component of overall health.

“Right now, we’re in a time of change, both the landscape across the country, across states, regulations, everything that’s going on. And deans are at the pivotal point to be able to effect meaningful change,” said Lily T. Garcia, dean of Texas A&M School of Dentistry.

Building a roadmap for the future

The summit concluded with a commitment to continue the work. Participants agreed to develop a series of papers focused on the six priority areas, with the aim of creating a roadmap for future action and measuring progress over time. The dental leaders also committed to reconvening to sustain momentum and advance collaborative initiatives.

“I’m very excited to see the strong engagement by all of the attendees and how they are looking to bring pilot projects and insights directly to their schools and universities,” said Giannobile. “This work is vitally important to the future of our profession and to our faculty, students, and the patients we serve.”