Dental chief questions dental school entry requirements

The chief dental officer for England Jason Wong has questioned whether the requirements for entry into dental school reflets the practical and people-centred nature of the profession, Dentistry has reported.

Wong was speaking at a panel discussion hosted by MyDentist at the company’s Chesterfield practice in Derbyshire.

Wong said: “In terms of how we widen participation, we have got an incredibly academic entry requirement, with an incredibly academic course, with a job that if you learn in general practice, which most do, is really people-centred. You know these relationships that you have or in practical skills can be out of kilter.

“I’ve made the point and there’s some work going on and we’ve got meetings coming up with the Dental Schools Council about how we’re going to address that.”