195 - Evaluation of Oral Health Training in Medical School Education

Evaluation of Oral Health Training in Medical School Education, Patel VY, Giacona MB, (Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, Newark, NJ)

Purpose: This study evaluates oral health training during medical education to address inadequate medical attention for dental caries, the most prevalent infectious disease in the United States.

Methods: With a response rate of 75%, 521 first-year (M1) and fourth-year (M4) students at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) and Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS) were administered a 17-item, multiple-choice questionnaire.

Results: Compared to M1s, M4s scored higher for fact-based questions (n=521, P <.001), though the difference was not substantial (~6%) with both cohorts scoring under 76%. In fact, there was no statistical significance between M1s and M4s at RWJMS. For the subjective questions regarding their comfort providing oral health information to patients and recognizing oral disease and its risk factors, M4s answered more positively than M1s (n=521, P <.001), indicating that exposure in medical school had a favorable impact. Still, the vast majority (75.4%) of graduating M4s indicated minimal comfort conducting an oral examination. Furthermore, 7.3% of NJMS M4s perceived little to no value in collaborating with dentists, despite sharing their physical learning environment with a dental school.

Conclusions: Failure to recognize oral disease and not perceiving dentists as valuable partners in health promotion will increase risk for oral disease and perpetuate health disparities, especially in the most vulnerable populations. More effort should be expended to integrate oral health into the medical school curriculum to ensure that physicians are adequately trained in the importance of oral health, screening for dental disease, and participating in efforts to prevent it.