Co-Creating Digital Dentistry: Engaging Students through Open and Renewable Teledentistry Assignments – OPEN-DENT Model

Open pedagogy transforms students into knowledge producers, promoting equity-minded innovation, and establishing a sustainable ecosystem of shared resources for continuous educational impact. Teledentistry education requires innovative pedagogy to prepare dental students for digital practice. Open pedagogy positions learners as co-creators of knowledge while integrating the Multi-Theory Model (MTM) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to strengthen behavioral confidence. Students complete open and renewable assignments designing teledentistry needs assessments and evaluation as open platforms. Guided by MTM and SCT, learners engage in participatory dialogue and reflective practice to co-create educational resources through OPEN-DENT framework. Learning activities include developing community partnership strategies, and outcome dashboards that address real-world oral health challenges. Students publish deliverables as licensed toolkits. Expected outcomes include increased student engagement and confidence. Renewable assignments generate lasting academic assets and prepare graduates for leadership in telehealth-driven dental systems.