Factors for Sustainable Dental Education—Discussion of a Conceptual Framework

Background: Dental education is comprehensive and challenging because it requires both appropriate theoretical and practical competencies. Various teaching formats and strategies are discussed in the literature, yet a comprehensive, model-based understanding of sustainable dental education remains lacking. Main body: This narrative review discusses different factors affecting academic success in overall and dental education. Thereby, a conceptual, non-systematic literature search and subsequent synthesis is provided. Driven by the available literature, motivation, student–teacher relationship (STR), expectations on results, and self-efficacy are interpreted as relevant factors, together with a contemporary teaching philosophy with a hybrid role of the teacher between mentor and coach. On this basis, a hypothetic framework is developed and discussed regarding current teaching formats in dental education, including problem-based learning (PBL), communication and self-reflection skills, practical training, and integrative teaching. Against this background, the limitations of the applied conceptual framework and implications for increasing the body of evidence are also discussed. Conclusions: Dental (and overall higher) education is complex and affected by various superordinate parameters. Student-centered education might consider motivation, self-efficacy and STR, together with teaching philosophy, the academic environment as well as the interrelation between theory and practice. These factors are relevant outcomes for future research in dental education, for which standardized and validated instruments should be elaborated and used. Overall, the conceptual framework is limited by its methodology, generalizability and model selection, requiring further research in the field.