ArticleBMC primary care2026
Raising medical students' awareness for the interdependence between oral health and systemic diseases - evaluation of a problem-based learning intervention: an exploratory pilot study.
Article in BMC primary care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
backgroundThere are several bi-directional linkages between oral and systemic inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Knowledge of basic mutual principles and close cooperation between dentists and general practitioners are therefore necessary to ensure optimal treatment of affected patients. Currently, oral health plays a subordinate role in German undergraduate medical curricula. To raise awareness of the importance of interprofessional collaboration with dentists and enhance students’ knowledge about oral health, a new learning session on oral health was integrated into the problem-based learning (PBL) course for 5th year undergraduate medical students in Leipzig.
methodsPre-post online surveys were conducted, including items on students’ attitudes and perceptions regarding the importance of dentistry for their future medical work, and the need for cooperation with dentists. Self-assessed confidence on performing oral examinations and identifying patients at risk for dental complications was complemented by a multiple-choice test on periodontitis. The course format (PBL) and its integration into the curriculum were also assessed. Students from a neighboring university served as the comparison group. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected. SPSS was used to perform descriptive statistics, and free text answers were analyzed using qualitative content analysis based on Mayring.
resultsThe response rate was 35.9% with 125 of 348 student participants completing both pre- and post-intervention surveys. The comparison group response rate was 86.6% with 188 of 217 invited participating. Participants showed a high interest in oral topics and great awareness both before and after the intervention. After the learning session, students felt more confident in performing oral examinations and identifying patients at risk for oral complications. Knowledge increased significantly, albeit on a low level. PBL was regarded as suitable for the integration of oral content, but students called for a stronger theoretical underpinning.
conclusionsThis study provides indications that new interdisciplinary content in a PBL course for 5th year undergraduate medical students could be suitable for raising awareness for dental-medical interdependences and enhancing the interest in oral health topics in medical studies. The study also highlighted the need to close theoretical gaps related to oral health earlier in the curriculum, which students were open to. Based on validated instruments, this pilot approach should be further investigated to verify and scale the results.
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