Universities and Education in Orthodontics

Abstract

Educators are faced with the realization that dental practice has advanced to such an extent that it is now unrealistic to expect a graduate to have mastered all the basic science knowledge and necessary clinical skills by the time he completes the traditional five-year curriculum. The increased utilization of dental auxiliaries in treatment situations throws doubt on the wisdom of continuing our present system of education which attempts to graduate one type of dentist who has moderate skills in all branches of general dentistry. A pathway curriculum would go a long way towards producing dentists with the special expertise that will be required in the future.