A recent study finds that despite an increase in the number of dental colleges in Pakistan, the quality of education, especially the hands-on training is not up to the mark, as undergraduate dental students and recent graduates feel deficient in experience and skills related to endodontics, radiography, and orthodontics.
A comprehensive evaluation was conducted by researchers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and Qatar to assess the self-perceived preparedness of 543 undergraduate students and 319 recent graduates who were working under supervision at various public and private dental schools and hospitals across Pakistan. The study utilised the validated Dental Undergraduates Preparedness Assessment Scale to measure the level of preparedness among the participants. To gain comparative insights, the total mean scores of the participants were compared with those obtained from similar studies conducted in other countries.
Findings of the study revealed that dental undergraduates in Pakistan expressed a lower level of preparedness (61.1 percent) for clinical practice when compared to their counterparts in Malaysia (79.5 pc) and the UK (74.0 pc). This suggests that Pakistani dental students feel comparatively less equipped for practical clinical work.
Respondents indicated a high level of preparedness in clinical tasks such as caries removal, dental nerve blocks administration, and medical history recording. However, there were notable deficiencies in clinical knowledge and experience concerning the performance of endodontic treatments in both multi-rooted and single-rooted teeth, capturing bitewing radiographs, and assessing orthodontic treatment requirements.
The study highlighted fabricating cast partial dentures and providing crowns as areas where respondents perceived weaknesses in their skills. Approximately 45 pc of respondents from private institutions and 39 pc from government-run institutions reported having no experience in providing cast partial dentures. Similarly, around 57 pc of private sector respondents and 50 pc of public sector respondents stated a lack of experience in providing crowns while adhering to tooth preservation principles.
It raised significant concerns regarding these findings, as these skills are essential for general dental practitioners. It highlighted the wide range of clinical training in Pakistani dental institutions and demonstrated the extent of deficiencies in clinical skills, surpassing a previous study conducted on a smaller sample size.
Majority of respondents expressed confidence in their ability to communicate with patients, seek guidance from supervisors, and maintain patient confidentiality, which was attributed to the strong emphasis on professionalism and ethics in Pakistani dental educational programs. However, respondents demonstrated lower levels of preparedness in interpreting dental practice research, evaluating dental materials and products, and referring to suspected cases of oral cancer.
According to the authors, deficiencies in understanding and applying evidence-based dentistry among dental undergraduates are not exclusive to Pakistan's curricula but represent a global challenge. Similarly, a lack of preparedness for identifying oral cancer was noted in countries like the UK and Malaysia. Considering Pakistan's high incidence of oral cancer on a global scale, one would expect a higher proficiency in identification and referral. The authors proposed that this deficit might be attributed to inconsistent teaching methods and limited clinical exposure to patients with the disease.