ORCID
- Casper Jonker: 0000-0002-9110-5208
- Alex Cresswell-Boyes: 0000-0003-0989-6651
- Ness Avery: 0009-0001-8158-6722
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The hidden curriculum (HC) plays a central role in shaping professional identity in dental education, yet the contribution of charitable and third-sector organisations to this process remains underexamined relative to institutional culture, peer interaction, and clinical hierarchy. This paper examines how partnerships between dental schools and community charities, using the Peninsula Dental School (PDS)–Well Connected collaboration as a case example, function as a distinct source of hidden curriculum content. Methods: Drawing on hidden curriculum theory, communities of practice, and transformative learning as a framework, we review the published literature on charitable and community-based dental education and examine reflective accounts and feedback from students who participated in PDS–Well Connected initiatives. Results: Charitable settings expose students to role models, patient populations, and relational demands largely absent from the teaching clinic, fostering empathy, cultural humility, and awareness of social determinants of oral health. Student accounts describe these experiences as transformational, but the literature also identifies risks, including superficial engagement, othering and an evaluation gap in how community-based learning outcomes are measured. Conclusions: Charitable organisations act as active, largely unacknowledged pedagogical agents in dental education. Realising their educational value requires sustained, reciprocal partnerships with institutional recognition, rather than treating community engagement as peripheral or optional.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2026-10-03
Publication Title
Oral
Volume
6
Issue
5
Acceptance Date
2026-09-24
Deposit Date
2026-10-03
Funding
This research received no external funding
Additional Links
Keywords
Curriculum, Education, Dental, Students, Empathy, Cultural Competency, Community-Institutional Relations, Professionalism, empathy, professionalism, education, students, curriculum, community–institutional relations, dental, cultural competency
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
First Page
1
Last Page
15
Recommended Citation
Jonker, C., Cresswell-Boyes, A., Robinson, S., Avery, N., & Smith, W. (2026) 'The Role of Charitable Organisations in the Hidden Curriculum of Dental Education', Oral, 6(5), pp. 1-15. Available at: 10.3390/oral6050128
