Dental Education in Sudan: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Path Forward

Preface: This paper reflects the author’s perspective, as she served as the dean of the Faculty of Dental Medicine for nearly four years. The challenges outlined in the text are real and confront dental professionals daily. Some of these challenges are addressed in specific studies, while others require further research to uncover the underlying causes of the difficulties. In this paper, the author proposes several actionable ideas and highlights opportunities for improvement. Purpose: Dentistry in Sudan has evolved, with many dental faculties and programmes, significantly increasing the number of graduates. This paper describes the progression of dental education in Sudan, identifies challenges, and proposes opportunities. Approach: This paper combines personal experience with relevant literature from the PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct databases. We retrieved articles and reports published in English over the last 50 years. Findings: Sudan faces challenges in dental education as a developing country. Quality education, combined with digital learning, improved infrastructure, reformed faculty and curriculum, expanded internship and postgraduate pathways, enhanced community engagement, and increased accountability, has led the way forward. Value of the study: The study provides insights into Sudan’s dental education challenges, paving the way for further research. Limitations of the study: Insufficient relevant published data exists on the topic. Practical implications: The paper explores opportunities, prompts policy change, and enhances the profession’s alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Keywords: Dentistry; Dental Education; Oral health; Community Services. Citation: Kheir, E.A.A.M. (2025): Dental Education in Sudan: Challenges, Opportunities, and the Path Forward. International Journal of Food, Nutrition and Public Health (IJFNPH), Vol.15, No.1-2, pp. 15-25.