The Experience of Integration in the Dental Curriculum of the World’s Accredited Universities and How to Apply it in Iran

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to study the experiences of the twenty-first century general dentistry curriculum in the world s prestigious universities and use it to revise the curriculum in Iran. Methods: The research method is a qualitative type of historical research. Firstly, with library studies and with the analysis and interpretation of data, various types of integration in the dental program of some of the reputable universities of the world were investigated and then a picture of the situation in Iran was presented. Finally, methods to use the global experience to improve the dentistry curriculum of Iran were studied. Results: The findings show that two types of integration in the dentistry curriculum have been applied during the first decade of the twenty-first century: horizontal integration and vertical integration. In terms of number, the cases of vertical integration are more numerous; two horizontal integration and forty vertical integration cases were identified. Conclusion: The benefits of the integration over a long period of six years of dentistry are remarkable. These benefits are from an educational perspective to ease of learning, continuity of retention, reminding speed, and careful utilization, each of which is sufficient to redefine curricula in this field. In addition, these empirical reasons, along with the pressure of aligning with global programs and meeting social needs and adapting to labor market conditions, have made it necessary to revise curricula based on integration criteria and, of course, benefit more to the universities that have brought them to action on the basis of global experience and timely action.