Introduction of Prenatal Oral Health into Medical Students’ Obstetrics Training

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the Prenatal Oral Health Program (pOHP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on medical students’ oral health-related knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and dental referral practices. Specifically, the study sought to determine these students’ ability to screen, counsel, and refer their patients to a dental home and their overall knowledge regarding the safety of dental treatment for pregnant patients. The study used a pre- and post-intervention survey design with intervention and control groups. Third-year medical students enrolled in an obstetrics and gynecology clerkship were surveyed between 2012 and 2014. The questionnaire assessed students’ confidence and behaviors related to prenatal oral health counseling, screening, referral to a dental home, and knowledge about treatment safety during pregnancy. Intervention and control groups were determined by clerkship site. The intervention consisted of a 50-minute seminar on prenatal oral health principles, referral guidelines, and clinical systems changes. A total of 53 intervention and 32 control group students participated (57.4% response rate). The two groups were not significantly different at baseline in age, gender, having children, and residency goals. The results showed that the pOHP positively and significantly influenced students in the intervention group on all clinical constructs except their knowledge about treatment safety during pregnancy. Clinically examining a woman’s mouth for signs of dental disease resulted in greater likelihood of making referrals by 26.5 times. These findings suggest that implementing prenatal oral health in a multi-method manner can effectively promote interdisciplinary coordinated care, meet interprofessional education accreditation standards, and aid in implementing practice guidelines in medical school curricula.