Training undergraduate students to incorporate new periodontal disease classification system

A significant update to the classification of periodontal and peri-implant disorders was made during the 2017 World Workshop organized by the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) and the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) on the classification of periodontal and peri-implant disorders and conditions. The goal of this study was to see how effectively a concentrated training program that helped undergraduate dentistry students integrate the new method of classification for periodontal disease into their clinical practice performed.

An observational study was conducted with 139 dental students. They were trained on the 2017 periodontal disease classification system through lectures, clinical exercises, and case discussions. Assessments were performed before and after the training to measure students' familiarity, comfort, and clinical performance in identifying periodontal disorders.

Following the training, there was a substantial improvement in students' understanding of the new classification system, with an average increase of 30% in accurate replies on written exams (P < 0.05). Clinical observations showed that students were more confident when using the new classification criteria during patient evaluations and more accurate when identifying periodontal problems. Students expressed great satisfaction with the training format in their feedback, with the majority stating that they understood and could use the upgraded system more effectively in clinical situations.

This study demonstrates that undergraduate dental students' theoretical comprehension and clinical practice may be considerably improved by coordinated, multimodal training that assists them in integrating the 2017 periodontal disease classification system.