Leadbeatter D, Holden A C L. How are the social determinants of health being taught in dental education? J Dent Educ 2020; DOI:10.1002/jdd.12487.

Dental education should be more than teaching technical competence.

On graduation, dentists are expected to provide care which is socially and culturally competent, giving priority to the interests of the patients. They are trained to treat oral disease, managing the destructive effect of dental caries and periodontitis, but with apparently little reference to the multiple social conditions which may contribute to these pathologies. However, these social determinants of health (SDH) need to be taught and assessed in dental school if their damaging effects are to be ameliorated.

A scoping review of the literature was undertaken to explore the extent to which SDH is taught worldwide to both undergraduates and practitioners. Community placements, along with journaling and reflection, were found in many studies but SDH was frequently peripheral to the main learning outcomes. With some exceptions (producing health education material, collaborating with a local community, for instance), the teaching offered rarely included those who were experiencing deprivation. The institutional structures within which the teaching took place were also found to be potential barriers to learning.

The complexity of health inequalities must be included longitudinally in the curriculum, by providing resources, stimulating discussion and developing reflection skills.