Implementation of a food science and nutrition module in a dental undergraduate curriculum

Abstract

Introduction:To outline the development and implementation of a food science and nutrition module for dental undergraduate students that provides basic knowledge and clinical skills for improving oral health outcomes and understanding their importance for overall health. Materials and methods:Interdisciplinary discussions with professionals with expertise in food science and nutrition, including dentists, dietitians and nutritionists, were held to agree on core subject areas in line with the evidence base. The module was delivered online to 2nd-year dental students due to COVID-19 restrictions. Students completed an online evaluation on completing the module. Final examination consisted of one essay question.Results: Subject areas and learning outcomes were derived from current and previous approaches to curriculum development. A total of 14 prerecorded lectures, including healthy eating guidelines, dietary assessment, specific oral effects of diet and food constituents were delivered and tutorials provided. The evaluation survey had a 90% (n = 39/43) response rate. A majority indicated that the course was "interesting," "worth doing" (59%) and "provided a good evidence base to understand nutrition and oral health" (87%). Nearly all students (92%) agreed that the course was "sufficiently structured to allow understanding of the key topics" and that "a good understanding of nutrition is important for a dentist" (95%). Conclusion:A food science and nutrition module developed by a multidisciplinary team enabled dental students to gain an understanding of the role of diet in oral and overall health. The module facilitated the development of skills that enable students to utilise dietary assessment techniques and promote dietary interventions beneficial to oral health. The approach taken may act as a template for other institutions.

Exploring the attitudes of general dental practitioners to providing dietary advice alongside oral rehabilitation for older adults

“…26 Despite some recent work incorporating nutrition into the undergraduate curriculum, teaching of nutrition and gerodontology is not standardised across dental schools in the UK. 27,28 A recent review of the eating advice provided for denture wearers showed that some advice lacked an evidence base, while other advice contained contradictory messages. This underscores the importance of consistent evidence-based information.…”

“…It would be necessary to more thoroughly assess this training across dental schools in the UK, but this seems to show that despite guidelines issued by the European College of Gerodontology for undergraduate curricula, GDPs do not feel competent to “identify nutritional deficiencies, perform dietary analysis and provide nutritional advice” 26 . Despite some recent work incorporating nutrition into the undergraduate curriculum, teaching of nutrition and gerodontology is not standardised across dental schools in the UK 27,28 …”

Teaching medical students about nutrition: from basic principles to practical strategies

“…This has the effect of normalising the expectation that nutrition is a core part of assessment, enabling students to engage in holistic and evidence informed lifestyle evaluations, discussions and support from early on in their medical careers. Although this paper describes how nutrition education can be integrated into medical education, this could equally apply to other health professions including dentistry, nursing, optometry and pharmacy education (38)(39)(40)(41). As these healthcare professionals can all have a role to play in conducting initial patient consultations, such as routine health checks, lifestyle counselling and nutrition referral pathways would be a valuable part of their education.…”