Association for Dental Education in Europe

Learning together to improve oral health and quality of life

Promoting Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in the undergraduate dental curriculum

Wednesday, 20th August 2025 - 09:00 to 10:30
Add to Calendar
Timezone: 

Dublin (IST, UTC+1)

Venue: 

McNabb Auditorium TCDBS

Community of Practice Meeting
Session synopsis: 
The UK General Dental Council introduced its new Safe Practitioner Framework detailing specific learning outcomes and behaviours expected from dental graduates (General Dental Council, 2023). This includes “Demonstrating cultural competency”, “respecting the diversity of patients and colleagues” and “Identifying relevant and appropriate dental, oral, craniofacial, and general anatomy (recognising the diversity of anatomy across the patient population) and their relevance to patient management”.

This emphasises the need for an inclusive and culturally competent approach in dental education. There remains limited research on how best to integrate Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and currently, there is little mention of this within the European Graduating Dentists Framework. The co-chairs are developing innovative holistic teaching to address these gaps, within dental anatomy education and the wider dental curriculum. This community of practice will support the knowledge exchange on these topics, while also gathering further examples of good practice from the European dental community.

Programme: 

09:00 - 09:20

Introduction and Presentation on examples of good practice in integrating EDI into the dental anatomy curriculum.

09:20 - 09:40

Presentations exploring good practice of integrating EDI into the wider undergraduate dental curriculum.

09:40 - 10:20

Collaborative discussions drawing from the attending European dental community creating a representative good practise consensus documentation.

10:20 - 10:30

Summary and feedback

Chair: 

Alison Cairns

Director of Dental Education
University of Glasgow

I am the Director of Dental Education at the University of Glasgow. I am a Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry. I have a masters degree by research on a topic I have taught widely on, regarding the role of the dental practitioner in Child Protection. I have a PhD in the field of dental education and staff development. My current areas of interest in dental education research include students as partners, peer assessment,  student engagement and the digital transformation of teaching and assessment. I am an experienced teacher at undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing development levels. I have a strong record in scholarship and in the support and mentorship of junior staff. I have collaborated nationally and internationally. I have the award of Recognition of Excellence in Teaching at a senior level. I have major roles I relation to management and curriculum development. I have fulfilled lead roles in Conference organisation for BARDES (ADEE partner in UK) and sit on the current Executive Committee. I have presented at ADEE conferences and have co-presented as well as contributed to the ‘Students as Partner’ Community of Practice.

 

 

Michelle Welsh

Deputy Head of Anatomy
University of Glasgow

Dr Michelle Welsh: Deputy Head of Anatomy, University of Glasgow. Expert in integrating EDI into higher education programmes, both in anatomy and other disciplines.

Ourania Varsou

Senior Lecturer in Anatomy
University of Glasgow

Dr Ourania Varsou: Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, University of Glasgow. Anatomy lead for dental education at the University of Glasgow. Health humanities specialist, as a steering committee member of The Doctor as a Humanist, and invited faculty to international institutions teaching the subject through the lens of human anatomy.

Speakers: 

John Linden

Specialty Registrar in Paediatric Dentistry
University of Glasgow Dental Hospital and School

Mr John Linden: Specialty Registrar in Paediatric Dentistry and Honorary Clinical Teacher, University of Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, with an interest in inclusive healthcare for LGBTQ+ people and its integration in dental education. Dental Adviser for the Association of LGBTQ+ Doctors and Dentists UK (GLADD) and Youth Group Volunteer for LGBT Youth Scotland. Committee Member of the British Alliance and Researchers in Dental Education and Scholarship (BARDES).

Jonathan McFarlane

Associate Professor
Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

Mr Jonathan McFarlane: Associate Professor, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Spain) and President, The Doctor as a Humanist

Learning Outcomes: 

The session aims to provide delegates an opportunity:

  • To explore the role that anatomy teaching can provide in promoting understanding of patient diversity in dental education
    • Familiarise dental educators with resources that highlight anatomical variations relevant to clinical practice, such as differences in craniofacial structures, oral health conditions, and systemic impacts on oral anatomy across diverse populations.
    • Empower dental educators to emphasise the importance of anatomical diversity in understanding patient-specific needs, improving diagnostic accuracy, and tailoring treatment plans.
  • To understand the importance of developing cultural competence as part of the skill set required in dental education
    • Familiarise dental educators with resources addressing cultural considerations in oral health care, including communication strategies and attitudes towards dental interventions in diverse communities.
    • Empower dental educators to incorporate cultural competence into their teaching by using case-based learning, reflective exercises, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • To promote integration of LGBTQ+ inclusive oral health practices in the undergraduate dental curriculum
    • Familiarise dental educators with resources on the unique oral health challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, including those related to mental health and stigma.
    • Empower dental educators to integrate LGBTQ+ inclusive health into dental education by embedding these topics into curriculum content, clinical training, and discussions, fostering an inclusive approach to patient care.