Teaching of sleep-disordered breathing in Brazilian dental schools: a nationwide study

Sleep-Disordered Breathing (SDB) encompasses a spectrum of conditions ranging from primary snoring to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition linked to significant cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurocognitive risks. Dentists are in a strategic position to identify SDB early, yet international studies highlight insufficient curricular coverage. In Brazil, little is known about how undergraduate dental programs incorporate SDB-related education.

A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted among the 238 Brazilian dental schools that participated in the 2019 National Student Performance Exam (ENADE). Two self-administered digital questionnaires were distributed: one to course coordinators and another to orthodontics professors. Data were collected from March to October 2022. Descriptive analyses were performed to assess curricular inclusion, workload, faculty training, perceived importance, and barriers to SDB education.

A total of 120 coordinators (response rate of 51.7%) and 161 professors (response rate of 86.6%) participated. Among coordinators, 70% reported that SDB was not included in the curriculum, 66.7% reported a lack of trained faculty, and none reported continuing education programs. Only 2.5% of institutions had a dental sleep medicine clinic, and the mean workload devoted to SDB content in the undergraduate curriculum was 5.6 h. Among professors, 93.2% considered SDB instruction important, but only 25.5% included it in their teaching. Few faculty members reported routinely asking about snoring or other sleep-related symptoms during clinical activities. Most (76.4%) classified dentists' training in OSA as deficient, and 92.5% agreed that curricula should cover OSA.

Despite recognition of its relevance, SDB education is largely absent from Brazilian dental curricula. Findings suggest a need for curricular reform, faculty development, and expanded clinical training opportunities. Future studies should triangulate data sources and explore innovative teaching strategies to address these curricular gaps.