COVID-19 Pandemic Disrupts Dental Education in India

Strategic Insights -

The COVID-19 pandemic led to severe disruptions in the education system in India, particularly in medical and dental teaching institutes. To mitigate this, institutions transitioned to virtual learning, but this posed significant challenges. A study conducted at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education aimed to analyze dental students' perceptions of this transition.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that 89.12% of undergraduate dental students at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education participated in a survey, indicating a high response rate.
  • The majority of students (74%) felt that lockdowns and distance education severely affected the quality of their dental education.
  • Approximately 73.9% of students believed that a lack of patient exposure would affect their future dental practice.
  • The study concluded that while e-learning is a convenient and effective method for teaching undergraduate dental students, it should be used as an auxiliary approach in the clinical setting rather than replacing conventional face-to-face learning.
  • The study's findings suggest that distance learning can be beneficial, but it also highlights the challenges faced by dental students during the pandemic, including difficulty concentrating in online classes and lacking adequate patient exposure.
  • The research noted that most students (86.4%) felt that a combination of traditional methods and online learning would be ideal for their education.

Statistics:

  • 89.12% of undergraduate dental students participated in the survey, resulting in a high response rate.
  • 73.9% of students felt that lockdowns and distance education severely affected the quality of their dental education.
  • 74% of students did not feel that it was easier to concentrate in online classes than in offline lectures.
  • 60.9% of students felt that they could not learn the theoretical aspects adequately.
  • 86.4% of students felt that a lack of patient exposure would affect their future dental practice.

Sources:

- From classroom to screen: dental students' perceptions of distance learning during COVID-19 pandemic in India. BMC Medical Education, 2025;25(1):1334.

- Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

- BMC Medical Education can be contacted at: Bmc, Campus, 4 Crinan St, London N1 9XW, England.