Reimagining Dental Education: Consensus Recommendations for Improving Access to Care Through Building Capacity and Closing the Oral Health Care Gap.

BACKGROUND

Millions of Americans experience significant barriers to accessing oral health care secondary to fragmented coverage, workforce maldistribution, social conditions, and the separation of oral health from broader health systems. Dental schools help address these inequities through their curricula, clinical training, workforce preparation, community partnerships, and institutional accountability.

OBJECTIVE

To develop consensus recommendations for how dental education can advance access, build capacity, and help close the oral health care gap across communities.

CONSENSUS PROCESS: At the June 2026 Reimagining Dental Education Summit, six dental education leaders, two co-chairs, and a Summit Scholar reviewed evidence and participated in three Future-Back sessions. Consensus required collective agreement by all working-group members and was confirmed verbally without formal voting or a numerical threshold. Reporting was informed by ACCORD guidance.

RECOMMENDATIONS: The working group recommended substantive educational and clinical relationships be developed between dental and other health professions programs; stronger advocacy and leadership preparation that engages public, community, payer, and policy partners; and sustainable community-based education, together with examination of the length and structure of dental education, including the role of postgraduate training. Implementation of these recommendations should address fairness, institutional readiness, resources, faculty support, accreditation, and accountability while protecting educational quality.

CONCLUSIONS

Dental education cannot eliminate access inequities alone, but it can prepare graduates to work across systems, build durable partnerships, advocate for policy change, and test accountable models of education and care. Coordinated action across institutions and sectors is needed to translate these recommendations into improved access and population oral health.