Document Type

Conference Paper

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

In the current U.S. educational system, becoming a dentist follows a few prescriptive pathways.  Learners typically complete an undergraduate degree before entering time-intensive doctoral training.  This results in only 3-4 years of direct professional education embedded within an eight -year process, while learners accumulate significant financial investment in their education.  With the average cost of graduate-level dental education alone exceeding $300,000 and new federal borrowing limits likely to further constrain access, there is an opportunity to explore alternative ways of structuring oral health education.

This poster presents a conceptual, system-level framework that explores a perspective in which oral health education can be viewed as a pipeline for entry-level, mid-level, and graduate-level learners.  Drawing on regional workforce data, federal student lending policy shifts, and competency-based professional education (CBE) precedents, the framework illustrates how skill stacking and competencies could be intentionally layered across dental laboratory technology, dental assisting, dental hygiene, and general dentistry.  Emphasis is placed on progressive skill complexity and meaningful exit points that preserve employability while minimizing unnecessary redundancy and financial risk for learners.

This framework is offered as a design-based approach with longitudinal planning to support institutional dialogue, data collection, and strategic exploration.  By reframing oral health education as a system of caregivers rather than a set of isolated credentials, this poster invites institutions to consider how rigor, access, affordability, and workforce sustainability might be addressed simultaneously through thoughtful academic design.

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