DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERNS OF DENTISTRY IN UKRAINE DURING WAR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21272/eumj.2026;14(1);282-292Keywords:
dentistry, dental education, dentist, continuing professional development, warAbstract
Introduction. Martial law, the deterioration of the health of the Ukrainian population against the backdrop of four years of Russian aggression, and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic necessitate changes to the structure, forms, and scope of undergraduate, postgraduate dental education and continuous professional development of dentists to ensure qualified dental care for the population.
Objective. To evaluate the current system of undergraduate, postgraduate dental education and continuing professional development of dentists in Ukraine and its relevance to current challenges, to identify measures for necessary changes.
Materials and methods of research. An assessment of the existing regulatory framework and practical principles of undergraduate, postgraduate dental education and continuing professional development of dentists in Ukraine and the EU was carried out. Methods of a systematic approach and comparison were used.
Results and discussion. The rapid development of digitalization in dental education and the introduction of interdisciplinary education, the latest information, simulation, and distance learning technologies, the use of artificial intelligence, and augmented reality techniques into the educational process must also be reflected in the new paradigm of continuing dental education in Ukraine in the current difficult circumstances. Undergraduate training for dentists will be provided in 2025 in Ukraine at 25 higher education institutions, including 14 higher education institutions of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, 3 higher education institutions of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, and 8 privately owned institutions. It lasts 5 years, which generally corresponds to the standards of dental education in the EU. According to the Unified State Electronic Database on Education, as of October 2025, only 7,491 people are studying dentistry (in 2020 – 12,759), of which 595 (in 2020 – 502) are state-funded, mainly in higher education institutions of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. The main characteristics of competency-based continuing dental education should be: modern content of educational programs developed in accordance with the needs of industry and society; student-centeredness; problem-oriented approach; rational use of teaching time with an emphasis on practice.
Conclusions. Understanding the importance of dentists' competencies for the healthcare industry, the importance of their continuing education based on competence and proper medical practice, its integration with EU requirements, increasing the duration of internships, and introducing residencies will help improve the quality of dental education during wartime.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Maya Yermolayeva, Oleksandr Udod, Olga Chernyshova, Tetiana Volosovets, Oleksii Pavlenko, Olena Doroshenko, Maxim Doroshenko, Inna Dikova
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