Dental Education, Sleep Apnea Syndrome, Obstructive, Sleep-disordered Breathing
Conditions
Keywords
Sleep Apnea, Dental Education
Brief summary
This study aims to assess whether sleep medicine education is provided within Italian undergraduate dental programs (Degree in Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics) and postgraduate specialization programs in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. A secondary objective is to compare the level of sleep medicine exposure between Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry residency programs.
Detailed description
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) affects 9% to 49% of the general population and is associated with multiple comorbidities and reduced life expectancy. Despite its high prevalence, a large proportion of patients remain undiagnosed, partly due to limited education among healthcare professionals. Dental sleep medicine is an emerging field; the Italian Ministry of Health has called upon dentists to act as "diagnostic sentinels" for patients at risk of sleep disorders. Orthodontists and pediatric dentists are also involved in the treatment of some sleep disorders through mandibular advancement devices (MADs) and palatal expansion appliances. Recent studies have highlighted a lack of sleep medicine training in dental programs in the United States; however, no study has ever been conducted in Italy to assess the level of exposure of dental students and residents to sleep dentistry.
Interventions
OTHERSleep medicine education questionnaire
A questionnaire including items from the validated Sleep Education Survey (American Academy of Neurology Sleep Section) is sent via email to directors of dental degree programs and residency programs in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry.
Sponsors
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
Study design
Observational model
COHORT
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Directors of undergraduate Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics degree programs in Italian universities whose email address is publicly available online * Directors of postgraduate residency programs in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Italian universities whose email address is publicly available online
Exclusion criteria
\- Directors affiliated with the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS or the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (to avoid conflict of interest)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Presence and extent of sleep medicine education within Italian undergraduate dental programs and postgraduate residency programs in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry | Baseline | To observe whether sleep medicine education is provided within the undergraduate Degree Course in Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics and within the Postgraduate Specialization Programs in Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at Italian universities, as assessed through a questionnaire including items from the validated Sleep Education Survey (American Academy of Neurology Sleep Section). Responses will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, with means and standard deviations for continuous variables and frequencies for categorical variables. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Comparison of sleep medicine education content and quantity between Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry residency programs | Baseline | To compare the level of sleep medicine education exposure obtained in Orthodontics Specialization Schools with that of Pediatric Dentistry Specialization Schools, as assessed through the same questionnaire. The variables related to the content and quantity of training received will be compared using the chi-square test (α = 0.05). The questionnaire includes items from the validated Sleep Education Survey (American Academy of Neurology Sleep Section). Items are assessed on a categorical or ordinal scale; higher scores indicate greater exposure to sleep medicine education. |
Countries
Italy
Outcome results
None listed