Quality considerations in dental education in India.

Undergraduate dental education programs have grown tremendously in India over the last five to six decades, mainly in the private sector, putting significant pressure on resources including faculty. This has raised concerns about the quality of dental education in the country. This article examines the concept of quality as applicable to higher education. It provides a roadmap for application of quality concepts, including steps for improving the effectiveness of teaching and applying Total Quality Management to dental education. It also makes suggestions for college-level and structural-level changes to meet the requirement of improved quality, which includes the addition of dental education as a subject in postgraduate dental programs.