Mapping Dental Education in Latin America and the Caribbean: An Institutional Quantitative Overview

Objective: To map and quantify dental schools in 20 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and characterize them according to their public or private nature. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study with a quantitative approach based on documentary analysis of 20 LAC countries. The unit of analysis consisted of officially recognized dental faculties, schools, or programs. The data were collected between March and August 2025. Results: A total of 795 dental education institutions were identified in LAC. The average number of faculty members per country was 39.75 (SD = 119.55), ranging from one to 543. The private sector was clearly predominant, with 638 (80.3%) private institutions and 157 (19.7%) public institutions. Brazil has 543 institutions (68.3% of the regional total), of which 88.0% (478) are private. Countries such as the Dominican Republic (92.3% private), Colombia (87.5% private), and Guatemala (83.3% private) have also demonstrated a strong inclination toward private education. In contrast, Cuba (six institutions) and Haiti (one institution) had only public faculties, and Venezuela had the lowest proportion of private institutions (28.6%) among the countries with mixed systems. Conclusions: The dental education ecosystem in Latin America and the Caribbean is characterized by a high number of institutions and a marked predominance of the private sector, with great regional heterogeneity. This scenario highlights the need for regulation and integrated policies to balance educational supply and quality.