Pediatric obesity curriculum in pediatric dental residency programs

The purpose of this investigation was to survey pediotric dental residents to determine the level of their formal education and clinical experiences involving the obese/overweight pediatric dental patient.

A 17-question survey was mailed to 195 residents in 41 randomly selected pediatric dentistry educational programs. Questions inquired about various aspects of residents' educational experiences, including formal curriculum-based courses and clinical experiences, with overweight patients and their parents.

One-hundred thirty-five residents returned the survey for an overall response rate of 70 percent. Approximately 50 percent of respondents reported having a formal curriculum on managing the obese pediatric dental patient as part of resident training. Curriculum topics varied widely and many specific to managing the obese pediatric patient were under-represented. Residents who received a formal curriculum in managing the obese patient were significantly (P < 0.001) more likely to report feeling prepared to manage these patients in their offices. Most residents were taught to take weight but were not consistently taught to measure height and calculate BMI. When residents discussed their patient's overweight condition with the parents, responses were most frequently "neutral" and "accepting."

Competency-based guidelines for managing the obese pediatric dental patient need to be developed and implemented in graduate programs.