Dental Education Post-COVID

The impact of an approximately 100 nanometer contagion on our world has been astronomical in many ways. As the end of the SARS-CoV-2 is envisioned, many aspects of our lives will hopefully return to what we previously knew; inevitably, some will not. There may be an additional annual immunization. There may be seasons when masks are routinely seen in public spaces.

Another area that could be impacted for the long term is dental education. Prior to the pandemic, significant conversations were already brewing about the use of virtual learning platforms. Whenever the course content had been made available via virtual format, large numbers of students were voting, by their lack of attendance in lecture halls. Yet, some students continued to thrive with face-to-face, three-dimensional (live) interaction.

As 2021 begins, significant amounts of dental didactic curricula are being taught virtually. Unfortunately, accountability and examination integrity have been challenged. Many students appear to be developing well didactically, whereas others are not. As spacing mandates begin to ease, will lecture halls fill once again? Or, will the move toward virtual flexibility continue?

Included in this issue are two invited commentaries concerning the issue of post-pandemic dental education. I hope these authors stimulate thought and add to the inevitable discussions that will soon surround this topic. Although I do not foresee a movement toward virtual training of hand skills in the near future, it will be interesting to see how dental education responds to the challenges of SARS-CoV-2.