January 2015 Supplement

Introduction In the Initiator Paper for Workshop E on periodontal education, Professor L. J. Jin clearly stated that common pitfalls and drawbacks in periodontal practice are the result of the fact that in many emerging populations, periodontal components of dental curricula remain highly inadequate and not updated due to limitations in qualified teaching staff and educational resources (Jin 2015). I can add a more significant reason that addresses the lack of a standardized periodontal education, reflecting the epitome of pedagogy. The model I refer to is that used in the United States and Canada, with prescriptive educational standards at the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels.