In the future, the training of competent dentists will need to take advantage of up-to-date digital technologies and learning practices. In order to accomplish this, the following goals should be considered: i) the design of 'customizable' web-based curriculum matrices that accommodate the training philosophies and resources of individual dental schools; ii) the development of digital instructional modules that can be incorporated or downloaded into specific parts of a curriculum; iii) the establishment of an e-consortium, which provides peer view and guidance in the design of teaching modules, and which is responsible for the storage, maintenance, and distribution of teaching modules within the consortium; iv) the development of central human and physical resources at each dental school to enable the seamless delivery of instructional modules in a variety of learning environments; and v) the assessment and provision of ICT training to students and faculty with respect to the use of computers and related digital technologies and educational software programmes. These goals should lead to the creation of a 'virtual dental school'. Within this project summative and formative evaluations should be performed during both the production and development of teaching material (e-learning material) and the learning process. During the learning process the following aspects should be measured and evaluated: i) students' behaviour; and ii) effectiveness, retention and the transfer of e-learned material into the clinical situation. To obtain evidence of the efficacy of e-learning material a certain amount of research has to be done in the near future. It is suggested that all parameters currently known have to be implemented during the development of a learning programme. Previous workers have evaluated the following elements with e-learning: i) planning, ii) programming and technical development, iii) learning behaviours, iv) learning outcomes of both the programme and the student, v) the acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitude and vi) the transfer of e-learned skills into clinical situations.

Health is a critical dimension of human well‐being and flourishing, and oral health is an integral component of health: one is not healthy without oral health. Significant barriers exist to ensuring the world’s people receive basic healthcare, including oral healthcare. Amongst these are poverty, ignorance, inadequate financial resources and lack of adequate numbers of educated and trained (oral) healthcare workers. Emerging economies are encouraged to develop a national strategic plan for oral health. International organizations have developed goals for oral health that can be referenced and adapted by emerging economies as they seek to formulate specific objectives for their countries. Demographic data that assess the nature and extent of oral diseases in a country are essential to sound planning and the development of an oral healthcare system that is relevant, effective and economically viable. Prevention should be emphasized and priority consideration be given to oral healthcare for children. The types and numbers of members of the oral healthcare team (workforce) will vary from country to country depending on the system developed. Potential members of the workforce include: generalist dentists, specialist dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, denturists, expanded function dental assistants (dental nurses) and community oral health workers/aides. Competences for dentists, and other members of the team, should be developed to ensure quality care and developed economies should cooperate with emerging economies. The development, by more advanced economies, of digital, virtual curricula, which could be used by emerging economies for educating and training members of the oral healthcare team, should be an important initiative. The International Federation of Dental Educators and Associations (IFDEA) should lead in such an effort.

A review of the dental curriculum was undertaken in Helsinki in the mid 90s. The objectives of the new curriculum were to reinforce the links between basic biomedical and dental sciences in order to give more emphasis to oral medicine and comprehensive dental care. Furthermore, the curriculum needed to promote an interdisciplinary approach and encourage students to understand dental diseases in relation to the community at large. A two-year, topic-based, preclinical curriculum, fully integrated with medical students, was started. For didactic teaching in the clinical phase, new learning entities were established to promote an inter-disciplinary approach. For the first time in Finland, objectives were formulated for attitudes and interpersonal skills. Clinical training was conducted in a comprehensive clinic, based on the team concept, where emphasis was given to proven competency instead of to the number of procedures performed. The time spent in the clinic was kept the same as previously (1440 h). Students' learning process was assessed with a portfolio. The majority of students welcomed the comprehensive care clinic, especially its team concept and treatment planning seminars. However, feedback seminars after treatment of the patient were not in favour. As part of the evaluation process, a DENTED visitation took place in Helsinki in March 1999. The results obtained in the student questionnaire were consistent with the aims of the undergraduate training and with the present patient treatment range. In conclusion, the curriculum change enabled the school to broaden the biomedical aspects by increasing the period of preclinical studies. Although the extent of these studies was greater than in the past, and meant postponement of clinical skills courses by one semester, it did not jeopardise the competency in clinical dentistry, owing to the effective integration of the clinical phase teaching.

A dental degree programme is a complex combination not only just to acquire knowledge and skills but also to develop interpersonal skills. It is a challenge for both students and staff to conceptualise studies in larger entities and to emphasise learning as a process. This project's general aim is to support student's development to become a self‐guided critical expert. This goal may be achieved by developing creative and inspiring learning and assessment atmosphere for basic, specialist and continuous education. The specific aim is to create a personal e‐portfolio program to facilitate utilisation of ICT based interaction and information, e.g. to document text, pictures, film and sound. The program is part of the assessment plan using e‐portfolio both summatively and formatively. Intra‐ and Internet are utilised to build a common data bank also to secure teaching continuity. The project plan was awarded the first prize in the ICT‐for‐teaching competition at the University of Helsinki. The work is done in co‐operation by university and a private company. Project's pilot phase started on spring 2002 involving the first and third year students and their teachers. It continues for the fall term 2002 with two additional student groups. Participants have completed a questionnaire on their pre‐project ICT skills and attitudes. Training has been planned and carried out accordingly. The students are given the opportunity to produce a variety of personal versions and their copies for later use. We conclude that it is very important to widen learning assessment methods to support students' continuous development beyond undergraduate programme and to learn to benefit from ICT. E‐portfolio used in this project is a digital platform for all these purposes. We are looking forward to collecting more data from our own institute and to working in close international co‐operation.