Assessing medical students' awareness of the link between oral and systemic health: a questionnaire-based study in a cohort of year 3 and 4 MBBS students in the UK

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Oral health is crucial for overall well-being, as conditions like periodontitis are increasingly associated with systemic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological disorders. Research in the UK and globally has revealed limited awareness among medical students about these connections, emphasizing the need for curriculum enhancements. This study assessed the awareness of year 3 and 4 medical students about oral-systemic disease connections.
METHODS: Following approval from the University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine and Dentistry Ethics Committee, a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted. The survey, consisting of multiple-choice questions with multiple answer options, was delivered anonymously via an internal Teams channel to a representative cohort of year 3 and 4 medical students. The questionnaire covered general awareness of oral-systemic health, specific oral disease knowledge, and a focused evaluation of the periodontitis-diabetes relationship. Statistics included descriptive analysis and chi-square tests to assess associations between responses. Measures of association, such as Phi and Cramér’s V, were also calculated.
RESULTS: A total of 122 students participated (65.67% year 3, 34.33% year 4). Most (91.04%) acknowledged the link between oral and general health. While 80.6% identified periodontitis as gum disease, 8.96% associated it with tooth decay, and 10.45% were unaware. Awareness of the bidirectional relationship with diabetes was limited; 60% recognized that diabetes increases periodontitis risk, but only 29.9% understood the reverse.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights gaps in medical students’ knowledge of oral-systemic health, emphasizing the need for better integration of oral health education in the medical curriculum. Aligning with WHO strategies and European Federation of Periodontology initiatives, improved interprofessional education can enhance patient care through collaboration between medical and dental professionals.