Exploring liminality in the training of periodontal dentists

Abstract

Objective: Liminality is a state of connectivity, an internalization of the threshold concept, leading to a new level of understanding that oscillates between comprehension, incomprehension, confusion, and realization before transformation. Liminality can be applied to various divergent situations, including spatial and intellectual transitions. Purpose: To examine liminality in the training of specialists in Periodontics. Methods: Students in the University of Chile’s periodontics specialization program were tracked from 2020 to 2024. During the Rehabilitation Unit, evidence-based rehabilitation content was analyzed, updated, and further developed in the context of their patients, emphasizing the restoration of oral functions. The materials were delivered using active methodologies that encouraged rich debate and were assessed with flowcharts. Students presented their cases to their peers and tutors, proposing evidence-based prosthetic treatments (EBD). Liminal concepts that emerged during the discussion were recorded using the paragraph-quote system. Results: The sample consisted of 19 training students from 11 universities. The paragraph-citation system identified three key liminal concepts that students must manage. 1. Focus the analysis on the patient, not the periodontogram. 2. Trust your clinical decisions: proposals are evidence-based, and their value depends on the context of the analysis. 3. Address the lack of teacher calibration: failing to support EBD decisions creates tensions within the cohort. Conclusions: Three liminal concepts were identified in specialist training. These should be integrated and systematized into the training plan to ensure a smooth transition to specialist status.