Dental Education Economics: Challenges and Innovative Strategies

Abstract

This article reviews current dental education economic challenges such as increasing student tuition and debt, decreasing funds for faculty salaries and the associated faculty shortage, and the high cost of clinic operations and their effect on the future of dentistry. Management tactics to address these issues are also reviewed. Despite recent efforts to change the clinical education model, implementation of proposed faculty recruitment and compensation programs, and creation of educationcorporate partnerships, the authors argue that the current economics of public dental education is not sustainable. To remain viable, the dental education system must adopt transformational actions to re-engineer the program for long-term stability. The proposed re-engineering includes strategies in the following three areas: 1) educational process redesign, 2) reduction and redistribution of time in dental school, and 3) development of a regional curriculum.

Should dental school faculty be measured and compensated using academic productivity models? Two viewpoints

“…In our experience, the urgency and immediacy of patient care can lead dental academics to put off scholarly activity and teaching. If these trends are to be reversed, academicians—particularly junior faculty—need mechanisms like the RVU/EVU system to protect their time, reward their academic productivity, and incentivize them 20 …”

Consumers' choice of dentist

“…When The Survey of Dentistry by the American Council on Education in 1961 recommended training more dentists to meet expected growing dental care demands due to population increases, the federal government mandated increasing dental school enrollment especially in public dental schools. The federal government made funds available to build fourteen new dental schools and renovate and expand preexisting dental schools to be able to graduate 6,180 dentists per year by 1975 (Walker et al 2008(Walker et al , 1440(Walker et al -1449Walker et al 2008Walker et al , 1440Walker et al -1449. Also, at least one third of the total dental school education expenses came from the federal government"s capitation grant funding (Health Professions Capitation Grant) until the early 1970s.…”

“…As a result, in 2001 federal funding was less than one percent of dental school education costs in public dental schools. As federal support decreased, the funding responsibility shifted to states; however many states had financial constraints in the 1980s which further strained dental school revenue streams (Walker et al 2008(Walker et al , 1440(Walker et al -1449. From 1991 to 2005 state support for dental education did not change which means real spending power decreased by 45 percent (Bailit 2008, 21-24).…”

“…Dental education is one of the most expensive educational programs on a per-student basis. It costs an average of $312,040 to educate a dental student while it costs an average of $251,085 to educate a medical student (Walker et al 2008(Walker et al , 1440(Walker et al -1449. The increasingly limited financial resources are associated with many critical issues in dental education today.…”

“…With increased student debt load, newer graduates are also much less likely to choose a career in academics (Bailit 2008, 14-17) (Walker et al 2008(Walker et al , 1440(Walker et al -1449. The faculty shortage and difficulties in faculty recruitment have forced existing faculty to spend more time in teaching than pursuing scholarship.…”