Journal of Korean Society of Dental Hygiene (J Korean Soc Dent Hyg)
Review Article

Finding spaces for dental hygiene curriculum renewal: a Delphi approach

Oral Biological & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of British Columbia

Correspondence to Susanne Sunell, Oral Biological & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of British Columbia, 2199 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada. Tel: 604-822-5747, E-mail: susunell@dentistry.ubc.ca

Volume 25, Number 6, Pages 473-85, December 2025.
J Korean Soc Dent Hyg 2025;25(6):473-85. https://doi.org/10.13065/jksdh.2025.25.6.2
Received on November 17, 2025, Revised on December 16, 2025, Accepted on December 17, 2025, Published on December 30, 2025.
Copyright © 2025 Journal of Korean Society of Dental Hygiene.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0).

Abstract

Objectives: The curriculum redesign process within the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Dental Hygiene Degree Program (DHDP) involved the creation of new curriculum in social entrepreneurship, advocacy, and interprofessional education. Thus the research question was: where can curriculum spaces be found for the new renewal themes? Methods: The DHDP course and section coordinators (n=16) were invited to a three-round Delphi study to explore curriculum spaces. Round 1 asked participants to identify curriculum spaces. Round 2 asked participants to rate their agreement with the round 1 items. Round 3 asked participants to rank items for implementation. Results: The response rate was 81% in round 1, 56% in round 2, and 69% in round 3. Consensus was reached to create spaces within (a) biomedical sciences, (b) statistics, oral epidemiology, and literature reviews, and (c) theory and practice. Twenty-six hours were found for social entrepreneurship and 24 hours for advocacy curriculum. Conclusions: Curriculum spaces were found but the redesign process can be challenging as faculty may experience a loss of their expertise. The findings of this study are specific to UBC’s program. However, the spaces found, and the lessons learned will likely resonate with faculty members across the health professions.

Keywords

Baccalaureate degree, Curriculum design, Curriculum development, Delphi study, Dental hygiene education

Section