Increasing the medical training of dentists

Dentists are entering complex diagnostic fields such as facial pain; carrying out advanced oral, periodontal, and maxillofacial procedures; and treating oral diseases by prescribing drugs with profound systemic effects. Concurrently, the population is living longer by taking multiple medications and undergoing sophisticated surgical procedures. The modern dentist requires more extrinsic and practical medical training to deal with these realities. This review advocates that courses in physical and laboratory diagnosis, pathophysiology, and internal medicine be expanded in the dental school curriculum and supplemented by practical clinical experience.