The derogatory "Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach" sends the blood pressure of committed educators soaring, and dental faculty are no exception. In dentistry, this disparaging comment is aimed at the supposed lack of clinical deftness of those selecting a dental educator’s role. The inference: educators couldn’t "make it" in private dental practice.

For dentists who hold this view and have concerns that the future of dental education lies in the hands of the clinically inept, worry no longer. Now it appears that everybody "can." Few dentists, it seems, are opting for an academic career. In fact, the number of dentists selecting academic pathways has fallen to crisis levels, with projections for even greater disparities if something isn’t done.

While this appears to be a problem solely for dental education, closer examination indicates a broader issue with major ramifications for present and future dental practitioners.

Dentists seeking quality dental education programs for their children, attempting to hire qualified dental associates, or wishing to sell their practices will find it difficult to meet their needs. Left unsolved, a reduction in the quality of dental education with a corresponding negative impact on dental practice and its public can be expected.

Let’s examine the evidence of this faculty "crisis."

Between 1992 and 1997, full-time academic vacancies in the clinical dental sciences increased 75 percent, from 139 to 244. This latter number expands to 300 full-time opportunities when the basic science and allied health programs are counted.

Intensifying the present shortage will be the rising number of retirements of an aging dental faculty. Today, 47 percent of all dental faculty members are 50 years of age or older, with 20 percent more than 61 years old.¹ With this "graying" of the dental faculty, a worst-case scenario would be that more than half of present faculty members will retire within the next decade. With no plan to replace this huge contingent, "faculty crisis" is an appropriate term.

With all these faculty vacancies, it might be expected that young dentists would welcome the opportunities available to them as future academics.

Not so!

While survey responses do not necessarily reflect eventual behavior, in 1995 only 1.1 percent of dental school graduates said they would pursue an academic career. Three years later, just 0.5 percent indicated a similar interest.² With 4,000 graduates a year, that means only 20 will enter the education pipeline—not the 200 needed each year for faculty replacement.

The opportunities and benefits of an academic career should have greater appeal. Far more than 20 recent grads should be interested in sharing knowledge, influencing students, savoring the joys of satisfying their intellectual curiosity through research, having the opportunity to travel, and meeting and collaborating with colleagues throughout the world.

How many private dental practitioners can receive a six-month sabbatical to seek new knowledge every seven years—at full salary?

Yet, as a recent dental graduate comments, "Perhaps the stark contrast of the high-financial rewards, independence and power to control one’s practice makes the private practice too fundamentally appealing to the majority of dental students, when compared to their perception of life at the university."

There is little question that the economic issue is central to the young dentists’ decision making. Recent dental graduates leave school with upwards of $100,000 in debt. While debt often can be deferred until the completion of advanced training—a necessity for most academic careers—entry-level academic salaries don’t appear sufficient to justify the further time commitment.

For example, consider a young dentist who has completed a one-year general practice residency and a three-year specialty program. He or she would be hired at the assistant professor rank with an average salary, after two or three years in that rank, of $65,000 in a public school and $59,000 in a private school. Compare that with the $187,000 average net income for a specialist who graduated from dental school less than 10 years ago. Disparities in earning power of this magnitude do not go unnoticed.

The American Association of Dental Schools, or AADS, recently released a report of the President’s Task Force on Future Dental School Faculty.¹ A number of its recommendations are worthy of comment. Recommendation Two, for example, to "promote debt forgiveness and other means of funding those who pursue education and research careers," is a must if there is any chance of minimizing the negative impact of student debt on choosing an academic career.

Recommendation Five, to "establish methods for developing, nurturing and retaining faculty," addresses the concept of recruiting private practitioners into academia. Here lies one of dental education’s biggest opportunities to address the faculty crisis. I personally know a number of dentists who, after satisfying private-practice careers, have made successful transitions to academia.

The AADS report also calls for the ongoing collection of data to "clarify the magnitude and reasons for faculty shortages." While doing so, it would be worthwhile for them to examine how increasing the amount of community-based education can bring in new faculty, while decreasing the dependence on full-time faculty.

How about the impact of simulation as an educational tool? Will it decrease the need for preclinical faculty? Also, in this era of electronics, must every dental school "own" and "pay" for a full complement of, for example, oral pathologists? Could they not share?

While not replacing managed care, OSHA, waterlines and other hot topics, the dental faculty crisis is starting to make its way to the forefront of crucial issues facing the dental profession. In addition to becoming knowledgeable and conversant on this subject, some of you also could become part of the solution.

Dental education needs seasoned practitioners to move into its full-time ranks. If you have the desire, energy and perhaps the financial wherewithal, now is a good time to investigate an academic career.

Yes, let those who can, "do." But let "do" include teaching, as well as private practice.