A narrative discussion on the impact of respiratory infectious diseases on dental education in China: implications for curriculum design and student outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Recent outbreaks of respiratory infectious diseases, transmitted via aerosols, have placed dental healthcare workers at high risk. Traditional dental education, based on student-teacher-patient interactions, faces unprecedented challenges across all stages. From admissions to classroom teaching, laboratory instruction, clinical training, and final examinations, every aspect of dental education is undergoing significant challenges and is in urgent need of change. METHODS: This narrative review with content analysis synthesized literature on the impact of respiratory infections on dental education. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI (2020-2026) using relevant keywords. Two reviewers independently screened and selected studies. Data were thematically analyzed into five core domains: classroom teaching, laboratory teaching, clinical teaching, student admissions/assessment, and licensing examinations. RESULTS: In classroom teaching, online platforms and AI-augmented PBL/CBL were rapidly adopted, yet persistent issues included network instability, limited interaction, digital inequities, and heavy reliance on student self-discipline. In laboratory teaching, AR/VR and iLab-X enabled remote training, but were constrained by high costs, poor haptic realism, inability to replicate patient emotions, and equipment dependence. In clinical teaching, enhanced infection controls-including PPE, rubber dams, and HEPA filtration-were implemented, though bio-aerosol risks, reduced patient flow, and limited clinical exposure remained. In admissions, online exams with dual-camera proctoring, open-ended questions, AI-generated items, and virtual OSCEs were adopted, while challenges persisted in cheating prevention, subjective scoring, validity, and privacy. Licensing examinations remained in-person with strict protection; VSP showed promise but lacked robust evidence and incurred high costs. Overall, technological innovations enabled educational continuity, yet significant infrastructure gaps, inequities, and unresolved validity issues persist across all domains. CONCLUSION: China's dental education rapidly adapted to respiratory epidemics through online teaching, simulation, and enhanced infection control, yet persistent challenges remain in digital equity, cost, validity, and infrastructure. These innovations are important primarily because they directly influence student learning outcomes-including knowledge acquisition, clinical reasoning, and skill retention-while also shaping curriculum design. Future preparedness requires sustained investment, faculty development, equitable access, and rigorous longitudinal research to validate skill transfer to clinical practice, ensuring that technological advances ultimately translate into measurable improvements in student competency and patient safety.