Educational strategies to enhance dental students' social responsibility: a scoping review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fostering socially responsible dentists is a fundamental goal of dental education. This scoping review aimed to identify and analyze educational programs designed to enhance dental students' social responsibility.

Methods

In January 2025, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Embase. Studies were included if they involved undergraduate dental students and described educational interventions explicitly aimed at promoting social responsibility. Key characteristics, assessment methods, and reported outcomes were extracted and synthesized. Based on the findings, a conceptual framework was developed using Engeström's activity theory.

Results

Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most programs adopted a community-based e

SUBMITTER: Park EJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12492727 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature