From clinics to communities: a scoping review of interprofessional service-learning in undergraduate dental education

BACKGROUND: Interprofessional service-learning (IPSL) combines community-based experiential learning with interprofessional education (IPE), fostering collaborative competencies and civic responsibility among students. Despite growing interest, the integration of service-learning and IPE in undergraduate dental curricula remains underexplored. METHODS: This scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework and refined by Levac et al., adhering to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Several electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and EMBASE) were searched from 1960 to March 2025 using a combination of controlled vocabulary and free-text terms. Manual searching of reference lists and grey literature through Google Scholar and institutional repositories supplemented the database searches. Screening and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thematic synthesis was used to analyse and categorise the findings qualitatively. RESULTS: From 1422 records, 11 eligible studies published between 2015 and 2023 were included. Most studies were conducted in the United States, with one from Canada. IPSL interventions occurred in diverse settings, including refugee shelters, rural clinics, prisons, and global health contexts. Dental students engaged with disciplines such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, social work, law and others. Key themes included 'Implementation Contexts and Interprofessional Partnerships', 'Oral Health Promotion and Prevention', 'Oral Health Literacy Outcomes', 'Reflective Learning', and 'Student Perceptions and Attitudes'. CONCLUSION: IPSL is an impactful educational strategy for dental students, promoting both clinical and interprofessional development. Future programmes should include structured preparatory training and longitudinal assessment to sustain learning outcomes and enhance the reach of IPSL globally.