Integrating Outreach Activities in the Undergraduate Curriculum for Dental Education: A Narrative Review

The objective of this review is to explore possibilities for integrating dental outreach activities as a mandatory training requirement for dental undergraduate students. As a part of training, outreach programs are not adapted by many dental colleges. This review provides evidence highlighting the necessity, usefulness and challenges of adopting outreach programs for students. Dental outreach programs can be effective approaches for the prevention of oral diseases and the promotion of oral health. School health programs are ideal programs because they cover large groups of people, including students, parents, teachers and staff. Students are the trained manpower required for the implementation of these programs in communities. It will contribute to the future preparedness of students by helping them build confidence and can enable them to implement their learning in practice. Moreover, students will be introduced to several dimensions of health and illness, as this platform allows them to interact with people from diverse backgrounds. These programs have challenges and limitations on their own. These factors should be addressed to make the program more acceptable and sustainable. Proper training, supervision and support for dental students in outreach programs can significantly contribute to improving the oral health of a community. The focus should be on developing a curriculum involving outreach programs for undergraduate students.