Sir, in a recent BDJ there was an intersection of ideas important for the education of dental graduates, such that they may safely practise dentistry. The letter from Tovani-Palone et al.1 described the role of hospital dentists assisting medical colleagues in the care of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and suggested greater integration of medical training at undergraduate level. In the same edition, Mather and colleagues analysed changes in learning outcomes for dental students between General Dental Council (GDC) curricula in 1997 (The first five years [TFFY]) and 2015 (Preparing for practice [PfP]).2
One element that has reduced significantly between the two curricula is the direction for teaching of human disease. In TFFY, previous guidance on teaching of medicine and surgery was significantly expanded, including that dental students were to attend medical and surgical clinics, and receive instruction in pharmacology and pathology. Curriculum sections, entitled 'Joint medical and dental teaching', 'Human disease' and 'General pathology and general microbiology' emphasised this new direction.
When the first edition of PfP was published, guidance for teaching undergraduates in medical topics had reduced to just a few lines: 'Identify general and systemic disease and explain their relevance to oral health and their impact on clinical treatment' and 'Obtain, record, and interpret a comprehensive and contemporaneous patient history'. Perhaps the GDC meant this to also include a medical history. Mentions of funding had disappeared.
The UK has an ageing population with multimorbidity becoming common,3 and an increasingly dentate population,4 who will seek treatment from dentists who need to know how to safely care for patients with multiple chronic diseases and many medications needed for their management. The increasing medical complexity of our patients should be borne in mind by the GDC for future curricula, and by dental schools who need to prepare dental graduates appropriately.
References
- 1.Tovani-Palone M, Franchi T. Integration with medicine needed. Br Dent J 2022; 232: 68-69. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- 2.Mather H, Bateman H, Taylor J et al. From inputs to outputs: an analysis of the changes to learning outcomes for dental undergraduate education in the UK. Br Dent J 2022; 232: 101-107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]
- 3.National Institute for Health Research. Multi-morbidity predicted to increase in the UK over the next 20 years. London: NIHR, 2018.
- 4.Moore D, Davies G M. A summary of knowledge about the oral health of older people in England and Wales. Community Dent Health 2016; 33: 262-266. [DOI] [PubMed]