Dental education in Kuwait

Abstract

For a long time there has been a need to establish a dental school in Kuwait, due to the fact that the majority of dentists working in Kuwait are expatriates from various countries. An Amiri decree in 1996 made it possible, and the first dental students were admitted to the Kuwait University Faculty of Dentistry in 1998. The mission of the Faculty of Dentistry is 'to promote oral health in Kuwait through education, research and cooperation with other professional health care institutions as well as the community at large'. A 6.5-year dental curriculum was completed after 2 years of committee work and was accepted by the University Council in 2001. This curriculum incorporates current trends in medical and dental education, such as the evidence-based and community-based approaches, problem-solving methodology for outcome-based learning, and competency achieved through comprehensive patient care.