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At universities, dentistry appears to be fragmented across the five to six years of a degree, from anatomy, physiology, and pathology to the clinic. It can be either species‐ or discipline‐oriented. It is traditionally included in the medical or surgical disciplines and can be divided academically into small‐animal, equine, and exotic/zoo animal. Regardless of how the complex of academic activities within the subject are divided, there are three major areas: education, clinical services, and research.

Figure 3.2 Webinar in dentistry.

The focus should be on practical skills. The hands‐on wetlab part of dental education is of paramount importance. In addition to the basic theoretical knowledge, practical tutored time with feedback should be provided. Some universities offer dentistry services in small‐practice teaching hospitals or clinics, but unfortunately this is usually the only time that students come in contact with a clinical dental case.

Other means of teaching dentistry should be considered as complementary or additional. From lectures and interactive sessions to books and e‐learning tools, it is important to remember that the acquisition of practical skills requires an intermediate step. A “do‐it‐yourself” manual can lead to confusion or complications, including iatrogenic damage.

In, general teaching methods include the following:

 E‐learning: Webinars, movies, quizzes, journal clubs, and virtual handbooks (Figure 3.2).

 Face‐to‐Face: One‐on‐one or in small groups. Maximum ratio is eight to ten students per tutor, but lowering the ratio will improve interaction and experience (Figure 3.3).

 Interactive Sessions: No audience limit, but it is important to involve the entire audience. The use of scoring or polling applications is encouraged for the collection of feedback (Figure 3.4).

 Indirect Contact: Via books, journals, and posters.

Figure 3.3 Face‐to‐face learning.

Figure 3.4 Interactive session.

The e‐learning concept uses technology such as electronic instruments and web platforms, organized as webinars, videos, quizzes, journal club discussions, virtual books, and presentations. These techniques are cheap to develop, allow for flexible timing, have no need of travel, and can be recorded and stored in a searchable database. Over time, with further development of electronic communication instruments, e‐learning will improve and become more common. The major limitation is that only theoretical education can be performed in this manner and supplementation with a practical workshop is necessary. Another issue might be language barriers. E‐learning is great solution for the theoretical part of dentistry and an effective prerequisite for practical (hands‐on) workshops and wetlabs under specialist supervision. The journal club formula is getting more and more popular and may become the most important way of learning and teaching, provided all participants have a serious attitude. Educational films are very helpful in allowing students to understand concepts such as active home care, the correct handling of instruments, and basic procedures. They can be addressed to students, veterinarians, or even the general public. If it is necessary to present a structured problem such as the safety of anesthesia, a PowerPoint presentation appears to be the best way of communication.

The teaching of dentistry cannot be performed ex cathedra without discussion and based purely on theoretical lectures and knowledge, however. Hands‐on labs are a necessary part of dental education. In regard to the relationship between teachers and students, the best model is that of mentor/mentee, as it provides the most efficient means of sharing experiences and provides the student with individual attention. This relationship is typical for specialty courses but is not available in many cases and can be quite expensive to implement. At universities, a student's performance in dentistry can be supervised by tenured (or tenure‐track) faculty, residents, non‐tenure‐track faculty, or a private practitioner who is employed part‐time – ideally, a specialist. For practical workshops, a very important consideration is the student–instructor ratio. In most cases, one tutor per eight participants is the maximum that still allows for good supervision and quality control.

The teaching of dentistry is thus done through both theoretical and practical methods. Theory is presented in lectures, interactive sessions, and seminars, which can be very attractive and efficient when properly structured and supported by a quality lecturer, especially with good audiovisual components. Even difficult or complicated information can be explained in an understandable way. In order to allow the participation of every attendee, it is necessary to have a smaller group. This will also enable the tutor to know whether each student has understood the most important messages.

Textbooks, chapters, and articles should follow the evidence‐based medicine (EBM) concept. The practice of EBM is a process of lifelong, self‐directed, problem‐based learning with an emphasis on delivering reliable knowledge that helps the recipient reach the correct decision. It is not a “cookbook” of recipes, simple solutions, and straightforward hints. Application of EBM means relating individual clinical signs and experiences with the best scientific evidence obtained through clinical research (Sackett et al. 2000).