Compliance or Competence? Re-thinking Leadership Pathways in South African Dentistry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/Keywords:
socioeconomic, disengagementAbstract
For South African dentistry, the challenges are well known: too few clinicians, persistent inequities in access, and fragile institutions. Added to this are the pressures of academic renewal and the shifting demands of regulatory reform. These forces are not unique to South Africa, but they are intensified by the country’s socioeconomic realities and the strain on its health system. The more unsettling question, however, is whether the profession has the leadership it needs to respond. Leadership is not a peripheral concern: it is the capacity that determines whether oral health can adapt, innovate, and remain credible in the eyes of patients, students, and society at large.
Downloads
References
1. Bhayat A, Chikte U. The changing demographic profile of dentists and dental specialists in South Africa: 2002–2015. Int Dent J. 2018;68(2):91-6. doi:10.1111/idj.12332
2. Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. HPCSA ignores recommendations of Ministerial Task Team. 2016 Jan 6 [cited 2025 Mar 1]. Available from:
3. Department of Health. Ministerial Task Team Report on the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Pretoria: Government of South Africa; 2015. Available from:
4. Tiwari R, Bhayat A, Chikte U. Forecasting for the need of dentists and specialists in South Africa until 2030. PLoS One. 2021;16(5):e0251238. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0251238
5. Hanks S, Spowart L, Cotton DRE. Leadership in dental practice: a three-stage systematic review and narrative synthesis. J Dent. 2020;102:103480. doi:10.1016/j.jdent.2020.103480
6. Kahn T. The trouble at the Health Professions Council of South Africa. Helen Suzman Foundation Briefs. 2015 Nov 13 [cited 2025 Mar 1]. Available from:
7. MedicalBrief. Gauteng MEC reviews irregular health appointments. 2024 Mar 4 [cited2025 Mar 1]. Available from:
8. Molete M, Stewart A, Bosire EN, Igumbor J. The policy implementation gap of school oral health programmes in Tshwane, South Africa: a qualitative case study. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020;20:338. doi:10.1186/s12913-020-05122-8
9. Mthethwa SR. Clinical academic staffing levels at a South African dental school (2015–2019). SADJ. 2022;77(7):372-6. doi:10.17159/2519-0105/2022/v77no7a3
10. Negucioiu M, Buduru S, Ghiz S, et al. Prevalence and management of burnout among dental professionals before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review. Healthcare (Basel). 2024;12(23):2366. doi:10.3390/healthcare12232366
11. Public Service Commission. Guide to Correct Irregular Appointments. Pretoria: PSC; 2016. Available from:
12. Public Service Commission. Process Guide for the Implementation of Policies and Procedures on Irregular Appointments. Pretoria: PSC; 2019. Available from:
13. Public Service Commission. PSC Quarterly Bulletin: April–June 2023. Pretoria: PSC; 2023. Available from: https://www.psc.gov.za
14. Sodo PP, Jewett S, Nemutandani MS, Yengopal V. Exploring reasons why South African dental therapists are leaving their profession: a theory-informed qualitative study. BMC Oral Health. 2023;23:581. doi:10.1186/s12903-023-03374-z
15. Tukuru MO, Snyman L, Postma TC, van der Berg-Cloete SE. Dentistry in South Africa and the need for management and leadership training. SADJ. 2021;76(9):532-6. Available from: https://hdl.handle.net/10520/ejc-sadj_v76_n9_a9
16. van der Berg-Cloete SE, Snyman L, Postma TC, White JG. South African dental students’ perceptions of most important non-clinical skills according to the Medical Leadership Competency Framework. J Dent Educ. 2016;80(11):1357-67. doi:10.100
2/j.0022-0337.2016.80.11.tb06221.x
17. Van Ryneveld M, Schneider H, Lehmann U. Human resource management and governance: a neglected barrier to primary health care. BMJ Glob Health. 2020;5(10):e002753. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002753
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
.png){kind=spacer}