Overview of the education system for dental technicians in Taiwan

Background/purpose: Currently, the education and examination system for dental technicians in Taiwan is gradually maturing. This study primarily explored the overview of the Taiwan's dental technology education system and the student numbers from 2017 to 2023. Materials and methods: This study employed the literature and secondary data analysis to investigate the development of the Taiwan's dental technology education system from 2017 to 2023 and the changes in the number of dental technology students. Results: Currently, Taiwan had five dental technology schools offering the associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees in the dental technology. The enrollment quotas for the dental technology students determined by the Ministry of Education was reduced from 400 students in 2017 to 387 students in 2023. The number of dental technology students with the official enrollment decreased from 2196 in 2017 to 1720 in 2023 with a reduction rate of 21.68 %. Comparing the distribution of the officially enrolled dental technology students in 2023 by the gender, school location, and academic program showed significant differences (P < 0.001). Overall, the 46 dental technology-related programs had produced a total of 3330 dental technology graduates (1354 male graduates and 1488 female graduates) over the past seven years. Conclusion: The dental technicians, who are primarily responsible for the fabrication and maintenance of the dental prostheses, play an indispensable role in the dental healthcare. However, the number of dental technology students decrease year by year. Therefore, attracting more students to join the dental technology education is a great challenge in Taiwan.