Global Actions to Improve Oral-Health from the Dental Education Perspective

The past decade has seen enhanced efforts to bring a global perspective on dental education through a series of three major global congresses on dental education in Prague in 2001, Singapore in 2002, and Dublin in 2007. These congresses have been collaborations between the major academic organizations with international constituencies, such as the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), and International Federation of Dental Education Associations (IFDEA), along with a thematic network sponsored by the European Union commonly referred to as DentEd. Funding for these congresses was provided by grants from the European Union, the sponsoring organizations, and from corporations. The meeting in Prague was comprised of 240 individuals from all continents representing 160 dental or stomatological schools as well as representatives of the funding corporate bodies, and the emphasis was predominantly on systems in Europe and North America. The congress that was held in Singapore was attended by 135 people from 31 countries, primarily from Southeast Asia. The Dublin meeting had 330 delegates from 66 countries. The congresses were designed to reflect the substantial knowledge and expertise of established international dental educators on such issues as competencies; use of technology; recruitment, retention, and development of faculty and staff; student engagement; and others. It is through these collaborations that outcomes were developed to promote convergence towards higher standards in dental education. One outcome of the Dublin congress was the reformation of IFDEA to become the International Federation of Dental Educators and Associations, reflecting the new vision of the organization to be a global knowledge center and network for dental educators through a robust website at www.ifdea.org. This presentation will review the outcomes of the global congresses and the ways in which IFDEA will improve oral health worldwide through enhancing standards in dental education.