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Guest Editorial
Importance and Implications of Research Experience in
Undergraduate Dental Curriculum
Research enterprise in health care, be it basic science
(bench top) or clinical/translational research, is geared
toward discoveries that will ultimately improve patient
care. Research apart from its primary objective can also
be a powerful tool in dental education to train the next
generation of leaders in oral health care. In this editorial, I
would like to highlight some of the key benefits and several
implications of engaging undergraduate dental students in
research during their program of study.
The most important benefit for students who are involved
in research as a part of the research team is their experience
and exposure to the research process, which are critical for
them to be inspired to consider research as their career
choice. I  have come across so many individuals in the
United States who pursued research as dental students then
went on to do research doctoral studies and are currently
successful in their career choice, be it an academician,
clinician, or an entrepreneur. This was also shown to be
the case in other fields.[1] In the United States, though the
dental curriculum is packed, in most of the colleges, dental
students are exposed to some sort of research experience.
It can range from a didactic course on basic research
methodology to actually being involved in a small research
project, under a faculty mentor. Though doing research
is not a graduation requirement for the students in many
colleges, those who end up doing it benefit immensely
from this additional experience.
In order for Indian dental colleges to make a global impact
in the coming decade, research and scholarly outputs
are the key metrics that needs focus. Involving students
in this process and creating a research-oriented work
force is, therefore, mutually beneficial and strategically
important. Just like in the United States, in India, the dental
curriculum is already crammed with didactic courses and
clinical experiences making it challenging to implement
or introduce newer elements such as research. However, it
is critical that the curriculum be de-compressed to create
space for students to be exposed to research methodology
and the concept of evidence-based dentistry to equip them
with tools for effective life-long learning and evidence
consumption.
© 2019 Indian Journal of Dental Research | Published by Wolters Kluwer ‑ Medknow
Apart from the in-depth knowledge gained by students
in their respective area of research, the experience of
scientific inquiry can also enhance students’ critical
thinking and logical reasoning skills, which are required
for effective clinical decision-making. Students involved
in basic or clinical research will have a strong appreciation
and will be better equipped to understand and implement
evidence-based dentistry in their practice. From searching
articles to applying the best evidence in a given clinical
scenario, they have an edge over students without this
experience. Though the body of scientific evidence in
dentistry grows at a rapid pace, there are still a lot of
clinical questions that practicing dentists face on a daily
basis, for which the evidence is either limited or non-
existent. Clinicians who use critical thinking and logical
reasoning skills will have an upper hand in dealing with
such patient scenarios.[2]
In addition, the presentation of research findings at the
local, national, or international meetings will provide
opportunities for dental students to hone their much
needed oratorial and presentation skills. Research
presentations also provide a perfect platform for learning
and networking opportunities for dental students
originating from other institutions and/or countries. From
my experience mentoring dental students, I can say that it
is one of the most enjoyable part of my academic duties
and I feel that it is a two-way learning process where
the faculty has the opportunity to positively influence
a student on a one to one basis, which might not be
feasible in classroom settings. Therefore, apart from
benefitting students, encouraging faculty members to
mentor undergraduate dental students will be a rewarding
experience for all parties involved. Overall, incorporating
a research component within undergraduate dental
curriculum is a win-win strategy with the potential to
elevate student experience and produce an effective future
dental workforce in India.
Satheesh Elangovan
Department of Periodontics,
The University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, USA
E‑mail: satheesh‑elangovan@uiowa.edu
329
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Elangovan: Research Experience in Dental Curriculum

References
1. Russell  SH, Hancock  MP, McCullough  J. The pipeline. Benefits
of undergraduate research experiences. Science 2007;316:548‑9.
2. Elangovan  S, Guzman‑Armstrong  S, Marshall  TA, Johnsen  DC.
Clinical decision making in the era of evidence‑based dentistry.
J Am Dent Assoc 2018;149:745‑7.
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How to cite this article: Elangovan S. Importance and implications of

research experience in undergraduate dental curriculum. Indian J Dent
Res 2019;30:329-30.

330 Indian Journal of Dental Research | Volume 30 | Issue 3 | May-June 2019