Consensus report of the second European Consensus Workshop on Education in Periodontology

Background: The second European Consensus Workshop on Education in Periodontology was commissioned, as a result of the changes in the discipline and the advances in educational methods/technology, to update the 2009 Consensus report of the first European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) Workshop on the same topic that was jointly authored by the Association for Dental Education in Europe. Aim: To identify and propose changes necessary in periodontal education at three levels, namely undergraduate, specialist and continuing professional development (CPD), with respect to learning outcomes, competencies and methods of learning/training and evaluation. Methods: Four working groups (WGs) considered education in periodontology at the undergraduate, specialist and CPD levels, and education methods. Four commissioned position papers, one per WG, summarized the relevant information. Workshop participants gathered at an in-person consensus meeting to discuss the individual reviews, and this consensus report summarizes the conclusions. Results: The learning outcomes for undergraduate and specialist education in periodontology have been updated, and a proposal for learning outcomes for CPD programmes was made. Learning/teaching/training and evaluation methods were proposed for each level of education, which included face-to-face, virtual and blended learning methods. Conclusion: Developments in oral/dental medicine and in contemporary educational technologies have been translated into updated learning outcomes and learning/teaching/ training/evaluation methods relevant to education in periodontology.