Internal medicine education in dentistry: knowledge required varies according to dental specialty

With recent increases in the number of elderly and medically compromised patients, dentists are required to have a more comprehensive understanding of medical problems. There is, however, little awareness of the importance of internal medicine at dental schools in Japan.

The aims of the present study were to examine whether dentists need medical knowledge, to examine how often they experience difficulties regarding internal medicine in dental practice, and to determine whether their specialty or career influences their needs or difficulties.

A questionnaire based on the above objectives was designed and was sent to all the faculty members in the department of dentistry at Tsurumi University and all dentists who work at the university hospital.

Of 408 surveys, 307 (75%) responded. Ninety-nine per cent of respondents recognized the necessity of internal medicine. The dentists specializing in gerodontology, dental anesthesiology or oral and maxillofacial surgery (group S) felt the need of knowledge of internal medicine more frequently than those of other specialties (group O) (Odds ratio 17.5, 95% CI: 2.4 approximately 129.9; P = 0.000). Seventy-four per cent of the dentists experienced difficulties in day-to-day practice caused by a lack of medical knowledge. Those in group S, experienced difficulties more frequently than those in group O (Odds ratio 5.3, 95% CI: 2.1 approximately 12.9; P = 0.000). While the more experienced dentists in group S encountered difficulties more often, the more experienced dentists in group O encountered difficulties less often.

The need for instruction in internal medicine varies according to dental specialty. Even very experienced dentists might fail to find solutions because of a lack of knowledge of internal medicine.