Do Generic Skills Achieved During Undergraduate Dental Education Meet the Need in Clinical Practice?

Objectives: To evaluate the importance of generic skills in clinical dental practice and how well these skills were achieved during undergraduate dental education.

Materials and methods: The data were based on a national online questionnaire survey called 'Young Dentist', which was hosted by the Finnish Dental Association. The questionnaire was sent via an email link in May 2021 to dentists who had graduated in Finland during 2018-2020. Altogether 221/505 recently graduated dentists (response rate 44%) answered the questionnaire. At the same time, the questionnaire was also sent to more experienced colleagues, who were selected by random sampling from the member register of the Finnish Dental Association (response rate 82/778, 14%).

Results: Recently graduated dentists stated that patient encounter skills were the most important generic skill in clinical dental practice, and this skill was well achieved during undergraduate studies. Other important skills in clinical dental practice reported by young dentists were aseptic techniques and patient safety and risk management skills, which were also well or very well achieved during undergraduate studies. The opinions of recently graduated dentists and more experienced colleagues were quite similar.

Conclusion: According to the opinions of the dentists, undergraduate dental education develops most generic competencies in clinical dental practice, but evolving practices, advancing technologies and health system challenges highlight the growing importance of diverse generic skills in the dental profession.