Key Points
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A comprehensive review of the barriers and facilitators to the provision of undergraduate clinical restorative dentistry in the UK and ROI.
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Provides a clear picture of the current status of the teaching and learning of undergraduate restorative dentistry in the UK and ROI.
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Will help to inform policy makers and stakeholders.
Abstract
In the light of concerns regarding expanded student intakes and reported workforce difficulties, a 2008 survey of heads of departments of restorative dentistry in UK and ROI dental schools sought to clarify the current situation with regard to: workforce configuration; barriers and facilitators of quality undergraduate clinical restorative dentistry; and, implications of the above for programme delivery. The response rate was 100% for the workforce statistics and 65% for the remainder of the survey. Findings were largely consistent across the 14 schools. Workforces were increasingly part-time with a shortage of full-time academics. While resources had generally expanded to meet increased student numbers and outreach teaching had augmented clinical learning, difficulties in recruiting patients and communicating with a fragmented workforce were risking the quality of undergraduate curricula. Issues to be addressed include a pervading sense of teaching being undervalued and staffing being sub-optimal.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge and thank all those who contributed to this survey and painstakingly answered and returned the questionnaires. They also acknowledge and thank the British Association of Teachers of Conservative Dentistry and The University of Sheffield for their financial support.
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Martin, N., Fairclough, A., Smith, M. et al. Factors influencing the quality of undergraduate clinical restorative dentistry in the UK and ROI: the views of heads of units. Br Dent J 208, 527–531 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2010.498
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2010.498
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