Bridging the gap in implant dentistry education: Perspectives from Malaysia’s graduating dental cohort

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the perception of dental students graduating from Malaysian dental schools about the teaching they received in implant dentistry, and to determine the need for curriculum review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 31-item validated questionnaire including closed and open questions pertaining to students' perceptions of the teaching of implant dentistry was distributed to all 13 dental schools in Malaysia. Responses were compiled on Excel and analysed. RESULTS: 272 responses were received. Nearly all respondents indicated that they had been made aware of implant dentistry (p65% of the students indicating that they are moderately well informed about implant dentistry (p50% of the students planning to include implant dentistry in their future clinical practice (p=0.029). More than 95% of the students wished to gain experience on implant treatment planning (p=0.024), including digital workflow planning (p95% students indicated that they wished to gain more experience in prosthodontics before providing embarking on implant dentistry (p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Dental students in Malaysia consider themselves moderately wellinformed about implant dentistry, but ill-prepared to provide even simple forms of implant dentistry in clinical practice. There is a need to review undergraduate curricula in dental schools in at least Malaysia to include instruction in implant dentistry sufficient to enable new graduates to provide at least simple forms of implant dentistry. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The study emphasises the preparedness of prospective Malaysian dentists in implant dentistry and indicates significant deficiencies in the curriculum. Comprehending students' perceptions can inform enhancements in pedagogy, guaranteeing that graduates possess clinical competence, confidence, and adherence to modern implant practice standards, thereby improving patient care and professional readiness in Malaysia.