Volume 29, Issue 162, August 2025

Incorporating Oral Health into Medical Curricula: A Critical Necessity

Aleksander Sobczyk¹, Aleksandra Górniak¹, Michał Widawski¹, Natalia Gizińska¹, Aleksandra Kubas¹, Arkadiusz Zaremba², Franciszek Cichur³, Paulina Lewandowska⁴, Amelia Rusiecka⁵

¹University Clinical Hospital No.2 of Medical University of Lodz, Poland
²Scanmed Rudolf Weigl Hospital in Blachownia, Poland
³Provincial Specialist Hospital of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Częstochowa, Poland
⁴The Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
⁵Central Teaching Hospital of the Medical University of Lodz, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Aleksander Sobczyk, University Clinical Hospital No.2 of Medical University of Lodz, Poland

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Oral diseases are one of the most common health conditions, yet their prevalence is not reflected in medical teaching. Additionally, substantial research shows the close connection between oral health and systemic health, especially in patients with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Future doctors need to be aware of this link and prepared to address oral health as a key part of overall patient care. Methodology: This review examined studies published between January 2000 and April 2025 utilizing the following databases: PubMed, ResearchGate, and Google Scholar. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and curriculum studies from peerreviewed journals were used as primary evidence. Commentaries and editorials were used to highlight policy implications. Results and Discussion: Medical schools provide minimal to no training in oral health. Several initiatives, particularly those incorporating interprofessional education, have demonstrated significant success in improving students' knowledge and collaborative skills. Effective oral health integration into medical education utilizes hands-on teaching and allows for direct engagement between medical and dental students. As the main barriers in addressing the dental-medical divide, educators identified limited resources, overpacked curricula, and a lack of ties to dental institutions. Conclusion: Sustainably positioning oral health as an integral part of medical education will require further interprofessional collaboration, policy support, and curriculum development.

Keywords: Medical education; Oral Health; Interprofessional education; Curriculum development

Medical Science, 2025, 29, e148ms3625

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi.v29i162.e148ms3625

Published: 30 August 2025