Comparative Analysis of Urgent Care Practices and Opportunities for Advancing Emergency Dental and Prosthodontics Education in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study provides a detailed analysis of urgent care dental practices and curricula in Saudi postgraduate dental programs. Key findings include consistent operational policies and challenges such as limited clinic resources and variability in clinical experience. The study highlights the need for curriculum standardization and proposes actionable strategies to enhance emergency dental and prosthodontics education in Saudi Arabia.
All the enrolled postgraduate programs participated. Of 97 survey items evaluated, a high level of consistency was evident in multiple areas including clinic operation policies, student supervision, electronic medical record implementations, clinical competencies and filing systems, triage systems, and advertising policies. The participants identified four challenges including limitation of clinic areas, limited clinical patients, complex compressed time, and highly varied experiences. Clinician experience variability was the theme of both the help service hindrance and professionalism dilemma. Undergraduate dental services and care continuity ideas were the authority dilemma. The opinions on new policy proposals and adjunct services contained the provisional dilemma and marketing dilemma. In conclusion, the study found consistency and provided evidence of the urgent care education provided in the participating postgraduate dental programs. Current dilemmas encountered by clinicians and program concerns were discussed. Finally, the study proposed future strategic planning, projected continued growth, and some possible opportunities for advancing emergency dental and prosthodontics education.