ArticleCureus2025
Future-Proofing the Oral Health Workforce: Evidence From Four Low- and Middle-Income Countries on Training Needs in Dental Public Health.
Article in Cureus, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Strengthening undergraduate dental public health education in Iran: insights from national symposia.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Identifying core competencies for community oral health practice among dental hygienists: a scoping review.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe dental public health workforce in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) faces challenges including limited resources, a shortage of personnel, uneven distribution, and inadequate training opportunities. Obsolete educational frameworks and regulatory barriers exacerbate the problem further. A training needs assessment (TNA) is a crucial exercise to identify gaps in the current training landscape before instituting any capacity-building initiatives.
objectivesThis study aims to identify existing postgraduate and short-course training opportunities in dental public health, assess gaps and barriers, and determine priority competency areas among four LMICs (India, Colombia, Brazil, and Kenya). MATERIALS AND
methodsFollowing consultations with relevant stakeholders, a structured, theme-based tool for TNA was developed. The data were collected in each country through online and offline searches as deemed appropriate. Data from each theme were analyzed, and a comparative analysis by country was prepared.
resultsAcross participant countries, postgraduate dental public health training opportunities varied considerably, with differences in program availability and accessibility. The availability of short courses was inconsistent, highlighting gaps in professional development opportunities. Key training priorities identified were qualitative research methods, community engagement, health advocacy and policy, health economics, academic publishing, grant proposal preparation, health promotion, and epidemiology. Barriers to further training included costs, limited postgraduate opportunities, and regional disparities.
conclusionsThis research highlighted significant gaps in dental public health workforce training across four LMICs, underscoring the need for a more equitable distribution of training resources, competency-based education, and an innovative workforce model that fosters strong interdisciplinary collaboration. Strengthening south-south collaboration, improving working opportunities and conditions, and expanding awareness of non-clinical career pathways are essential for building a resilient and impactful workforce in these countries.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.