Intuitively, we know that priority needs to be placed on recruitment, education, and practical training to meet the growing demand for jobs in the dental industry among Canadians. While it’s clear that expanding the pool of dental professionals will help alleviate the strain, there are notable concerns regarding traditional education programs.
Geographic Limitations: Students are required to be physically present, which can be particularly difficult for those residing far from educational institutions. For many prospective students, the distance from their remote location presents a significant barrier, even if they have the desire.
Class Size Constraints: Physical classrooms limit the number of students who can enroll (and graduate!) in a program, leading to waitlists.
Student Debt: Dental education is often associated with high tuition fees, leading to significant student debt. This financial burden can influence career choices.
Communication and Management: Traditional programs may not adequately cover essential soft skills like patient communication, practice management, work ethic, and team collaboration.
Rigid Schedules: Classes are scheduled at specific times and students must adhere to a set schedule limiting flexibility for students who have work or family commitments.
Commuting Costs and Time: Students incur additional expenses for transportation, parking, and possibly accommodation if they need to relocate. Time spent commuting to and from campus reduces the time available for study, work, and personal activities.
Course Scheduling: Some courses may only be offered at specific times or during certain semesters, delaying students’ progress if they miss the enrollment window.
One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Traditional classrooms may not cater to individual learning styles as effectively as online platforms, which can offer more personalized learning experiences.
Mental Health Strain: The stress of commuting, rigid schedules, and high academic pressure can negatively impact students’ mental health.
The limitations of traditional education models have led to the emergence of distance delivery education options.
Greater accessibility is the hallmark of online education, offering students the opportunity to attend courses from any location, even in remote or underserved areas. With 24/7 availability, online courses can provide asynchronous learning options, enabling students to access materials and complete assignments at their convenience, even outside traditional working hours. The flexible scheduling of online courses accommodates personal commitments such as family and work responsibilities. This flexibility can also reduce stress associated with commuting and rigid class times, promoting better mental well-being.
By accommodating a working schedule, students can earn while they learn, reducing both the burden of student debt and the mental strain associated with covering tuition and everyday expenses. Through simultaneous employment in a dental office and theoretical learning, students gain exposure to and develop essential soft skills such as communication, practice management, work ethic, and teamwork.
Personalized learning is a key aspect of online education. Through interactive multimedia, simulations, and a variety of online resources, diverse learning tools cater to different learning styles, ensuring a tailored approach to education.
Online education offers a broader course selection, granting students access to a wide range of programs from institutions nation-wide, without being constrained by geographic location.
Additionally, with continuous enrollment options, online programs feature rolling admissions and flexible start dates, providing students with greater flexibility and convenience when deciding on a start date that works with their existing commitments.
Is this enough though? Despite the advantages of online education, potential students may still perceive barriers when considering enrollment. The most common reason for opposition pertains to the location of clinical sites for the hands-on component of the training. Students may be concerned about the logistics of travelling to attend the clinical sessions. Lack of a support system at home can also pose a significant challenge.
The Future of Dental Industry Education
The future of education is poised to be significantly transformed by the integration of advanced technologies such as virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and sophisticated simulation tools. These innovations promise to enhance the learning experience, improve skill acquisition, and better prepare students for real-world practice. The future is exciting and encouraging! Envision a time not too distant from now when students could take their training entirely remotely. Such an approach would remove location barriers, granting access to anyone interested in a career in the dental industry. This transition would not only offer a superior educational experience but would also spark greater interest, reduce educational time commitments, dismantle barriers, and ultimately result in a larger pool of dental professionals in the industry, thereby mitigating labour shortage challenges.
VR holds immense potential in the dental education field. By creating highly realistic and immersive environments, VR enables students to practice dental procedures safely and effectively without risk to patients. Virtual clinics further enhance the learning experience by simulating real-world environments. Consider the positive impact of dental assisting students interacting with dental students, performing various four-handed dental procedures as a team, long before either student encounters a patient face to face, transcending geographical barriers and allowing students from different regions and disciplines to engage with each other. The possibilities for interdisciplinary learning, sharing of knowledge and mentorship is endless. VR has the potential to promote a holistic understanding of patient care by simulating real-world dental team dynamics, with underlying education in difficult to teach soft skills such as communication, teamwork, self-advocacy and delivering feedback.
The advent of remote simulation labs offers enhanced accessibility to training resources. Students could access simulation labs from any location, enabling them to practice and have their skills assessed remotely, eliminating the need to travel for the clinical components of training.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in personalized learning. AI-driven platforms can customize educational content to suit individual learning paces and styles, identify areas of difficulty, and provide tailored resources or exercises to address gaps in understanding. Additionally, AI can assess student performance and provide immediate, detailed feedback to facilitate improvement.
Distance delivery of theoretical content is just the start!
The future is set to be dynamic and technology-driven, offering more immersive, personalized, and flexible learning experiences. The incorporation of VR, AI, and advanced simulation will not only enhance the skillsets of students but will also ensure they are well-prepared for the evolving landscape of dental healthcare. These innovations will help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application, leading to better-trained professionals. And more of them!
About the Author
Casey Sharp, co-founder and COO of Risio Institute for Digital Dental Education, brings over two decades of expertise as a dental assistant. With a background in adult education and instructional design, Casey created the school’s e-learning modules and oversees curriculum development and the management of its Learning Management System (LMS). Casey combines practical experience with a passion for leveraging digital technology to enhance dental education.
