Future Dentists Research Articles

Oral Health Attitude and Status of Turkish Dentistry Students

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the oral and dental health of students studying at the Faculty of Dentistry. As a result, the ideas to improve effective training methods for future dentists who will have impact on oral and dental health of the society will be developed. Methods: A survey including sociodemographic, oral and dental health-associated questions was conducted with 200 students who were studying at Faculty of Dentistry of Inonu University and subsequently, dental examination of each student was performed and evaluated. Results: It has been noted that students generally give importance to oral and dental health and nutrition as their grade level increases. It is observed that since the beginning of their education, the rate of restorative treatment increased, and the number of tooth cavity is decreased. Conclusions: Considering that dentistry students are individuals who will educate and influence the society, they need to pay more attention to their personal health and care. Therefore, the right oral and dental health practice acquired as a habit by students will affect the health of the entire society.

Dental Students’ Tobacco Smoking Habits, Second-hand Smoke Exposure, and Training in Cessation Counselling at the University of Medicine Pharmacy Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureș

Abstract Objectives: To describe tobacco smoking habits, attitudes, second-hand smoke exposure, and training in cessation counselling at the University of Medicine Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu-Mureș (UMPSTTM), as baseline data for the first Romanian university to implement a Smoke Free University Project. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered in 2014 among dental students at UMPSTTM to explore their smoking habits, attitudes toward smoking and tobacco control policies, exposure to second-hand smoke, interest in quitting, and their knowledge about cessation counselling. We used core questions of the Global Health Professions Student Survey (GHPSS) and added specific items related to the Smoke Free University Project. Data were analysed by SPSS v22 software. We compared our results with those of the GHPSS Survey. Results: 581 dental students, 73.1% of the target population (n=795), completed the questionnaire. 38.7% were current smokers. Approximately 1 in 5 (22.6%) current smokers admitted smoking inside university buildings, although 80.7% were aware of the smoking ban. 44.2% of current smokers plan to quit smoking. Nearly half of the students (48.9%) were exposed to secondhand smoke in their current homes, 78.1% in public places and 33.3% inside the university buildings. Only 21.0% of all participants received any formal training on how to help future patients quit. Conclusions: Tobacco use prevalence was higher among future dentists than in the majority of respondents to the GHPSS. Changes in dental school education are needed to promote personal smoking cessation, as well as to educate dentists on how to support their future patients quitting.

The Importance of Teaching History of Prosthetic Dentistry for Future Dentists’ Personality Formation

Abstract Currently in the modern pedagogical process at a higher medical institution, teachers often shift emphasis towards the new technologies and methods for treating diseases. In this case, classical techniques, their development, and scientists who influenced the formation of orthopaedic dentistry are undeservedly downplayed in the training process. In order to preserve the interest of dental students in the historical process, it is necessary to teach the material taking into account modern processes that occur in orthopaedic dentistry. We searched for materials on the history of prosthetic dentistry in the scientific and historical literature. A special attention was paid to those moments of history that had been reflected in the present through modern materials, schools or methods of treating patients. After the selection of the materials and their discussion, the teaching staff of the KrasSMU Department-Clinic for Prosthetic Dentistry made proposals regarding each of the nine training cycles. In each study cycle, we included some information about historical moments and personalities that are known to be important for students’ moral education and learning. Specifically, we used information taken from the scientific and historical literature, autobiographies, memoirs of contemporaries, and presentations containing material suitable for assimilation. Thus, we managed to naturally include the history of prosthetic dentistry into the educational process. The applied approach to teaching the history of medicine had many positive aspects. Following up the development of views on various prosthetic dentistry issues allowed us to provide a more natural introduction to complex clinical disciplines. We emphasized the scientific experience continuity and the interdisciplinary approach to professional issues. A number of positive moral and ethical qualities were discussed that have allowed scientists to achieve significant results in their activities. Through the demonstration of domestic scientists’ achievements, we carried out promotion of patriotism among the students. Considering the above advantages, we emphasize the importance of teaching the history of prosthetic dentistry in educating future dentists.

The study of values within the structure of motivating factors in students who are future dentists

The study of values within the structure of motivating factors in students who are future dentists

FOSTERING CLINICAL THINKING IN DENTAL DOCTORS THROUGH POST-GRADUATION PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

During the internship training, future dental doctors expand knowledge about understanding the pathogenetic mechanisms of various pathological conditions or illnesses. Most contemporary effective diagnosis and treatment approaches are based on clinical thinking skills, the link between sciences and practice. The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the peculiarities of building up clinical thinking skills in future paediatric dentists at the postgraduate stage of their training. Developing clinical thinking skills in dental students typically starts since their junior years at the medical university, when they begin studying basic sciences. The background obtained during undergraduate training should be enriched in order to improve recognizing a wide variety of diseases and conditions through the internship training course. Professional thinking skills are fostered at the chair-side practice, when dealing with patients under the guidance of experienced mentors and clinicians. Clinical thinking switches on since the first minutes of doctor-patient interaction and goes on through the treatment course. At the postgraduate stage, it is essential to continue developing the holistic vision of the patient that will help to combine the evidence-based standards of medical care and patient-centred approach (personalized medical care). Conclusion. Thus, the training activities for dental intern doctors should be designed in order to maximally contribute to fostering clinical thinking skills. The mentors and teaching assistants must have clear and deep understanding of what factors can promote this process, and what can not. Among the most significant methodological achievements of postgraduate education is the emphasis on the development of critical and creative thinking skills, which are most clearly manifested by the creativity of clinical thinking.

Experience of pedagogical work on implementation of principles of medical deontology at training of students of medical university

The introduction of the principles of medical ethics in teaching students is carried out by the staff of the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry in practical classes, lectures, during the work of student scientific circles and evening student polyclinics, as well as during extracurricular time in the process of curatorial work of teachers. During practical classes, the teacher pays attention to students not only theoretical knowledge and practical skills, but also deontological principles in relation to the patient: respect, polite treatment, which helps to gain the patient’s trust, to establish good contact, in many respects helping to conduct a successful examination of the patient, to put the right diagnosis and prescribe effective treatment. Solving situational problems reveals the ability of students to generalize results, conduct differential diagnostics with similar diseases, assign additional examination methods, which develops clinical thinking, the ability to tactfully and competently compose questions to identify the patient’s history and complaints, taking into account his emotional state and the results of an objective examination. The purpose of such training is aimed at educating students of a sense of duty and responsibility towards patients and colleagues. The consolidation and deepening of knowledge in deontology is achieved not only by solving situational problems, but also by solving test tasks, working on essays on the proposed topic under the guidance of a teacher, as well as preparing for performances at student scientific and practical conferences and participating in student Olympiads. Interactive teaching methods contribute to the improvement of the quality of training of future specialists, allow learning to interact with each other. With the help of such teaching methods, the formation of cognitive and professional motives, the development of systemic thinking of the future dentist in accordance with the core competencies, takes place.

DEONTOLOGICAL APPROACH TOWARD PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FUTURE DENTAL DOCTORS

The article is devoted to the issues of medical ethics and deontology, the essence of the deontological approach to the training of future dental doctors. The moral and ethical components are one of the important criteria demonstrating the readiness of future doctors to a high quality professional activity that would meet at demands of the latest medical achievements. Modern medical reform requires the improvement of the medical education system in order to prepare highly skilled health care specialists. A new generation of healthcare professionals should continuously improve and deepen their professional knowledge, be quick in handling complicated clinical situations and making adequate decisions, and demonstrate a high level of deontological culture. Scientists point out the growing requirements for the professional training of the doctors in general and for the level of their deontological culture in particular: "A few decades ago, the content of medical ethics was exhausted by two problems: first, the rules of the behaviour of medical personnel in relation to patients, and, secondly, the rules of the relationship in the medical corporation Today, radical revisions are subject to traditional problems, as well as many new problems. All this led to the need for an integrated approach to these problems and, above all, to the need and integration of theoretical and practical medicine and ethics". General moral and ethical requirements for the activities of medical workers are represented in a number of leading state and international regulatory documents that regulate the theoretical, organizational and methodological basis for the training of future health care professionals and outline the main directions toward the fostering their deontological culture, namely: the International Code of Medical Ethics adopted The General Assembly of the World Medical Association (London, 1949), the provisions of the Geneva Declaration (International Oath of Physicians) (1948), the Ethical Code Doctor I of Ukraine (2009), the Concept of development of public health care for the population of Ukraine "(2000) and others. In this regard, one of the most pressing issues the modern medical institutions of higher education are facing is to raise deontological culture among the future doctors. After all, the unfair performance of doctor’s professional duties, careless or non-ethical attitude to the patient can lead to undesirable and even tragic consequences. Each of us, seeking for a doctor’s advice, wants to be sure of his / her high professional and moral qualities. This imposes a huge responsibility on the doctors and the system of their professional training, because health and life are the most valuable treasure that a person can possess. The doctors of all specialties, including those in dentistry, have a direct relation to the performance of their professional duties by their general professional training, responsibility, decency, respectful attitude to colleagues and patients, high personal culture. These components are the essence of the deontological approach to the training of future dental doctors. If the dentists perform their work poorly, in most cases this remains unnoticed by the patient and does not cause any special conflicts. In such cases, the professional ethics of the doctors and their decency are of particular importance. It is the deontological approach to the training of future dentists that ensures fostering their moral and ethical standards, the acquisition of appropriate skills, abilities, their awareness of moral and ethical values, the development of the required traits of character. Among the prospects for further research within this direction we can single out the synthesis of the results obtained by of the analysis of scientific sources in order to distinguish the actual aspects of the training of future dental doctors.

Використання професійно-орієнтованих завдань на заняттях з медичної інформатики при вивченні експертних систем студентами-стоматологами

Використання професійно-орієнтованих завдань на заняттях з медичної інформатики при вивченні експертних систем студентами-стоматологами

The factors that count in selecting future dentists: sensorimotor and soft skills.

Introduction Dental schools across the world are increasingly adopting 'multiple mini interview' (MMI) approaches to evaluate prospective students. But what skills and abilities are being assessed within these short, structured 'interview' stations and do they map on to the requirements of dental practice? Understanding the fundamental processes being measured is important if these assessments are to serve the purpose of identifying the students with the greatest potential to succeed in dental practice.Materials and methods To this end, we performed factor analysis on data from 239 participants on ten MMI stations used for undergraduate selection at a UK dental school.Results The analysis revealed that this assessment approach captured two fundamental underlying traits. The first factor captured scores on six stations that could be labelled usefully as a 'soft skill' factor. The second captured scores on four stations that could be described usefully as a 'sensorimotor' factor.Conclusion The present study demonstrates that the structure of at least one MMI used within the UK for dental school entry can be parsed into two distinct factors relating to soft skills and sensorimotor abilities. This finding has implications for the efficiency of the interview process, the refinement of MMI assessment in dental schools across the world and understanding of the critical skills that a successful dental practitioner must possess.

PORTFOLIO AS AN INSTRUMENT FOR FUTURE DENTISTS’ PRAXIOLOGICAL COMPETENCE FORMATION

The article deals with the importance of a portfolio for future dentists’ praxeological competence formation in the way it can help assess objectively results accomplished in educational process. The definition of «portfolio» was provided and its structural components were established. They include a motivation letter, where the future dentist determines his/her own conception of education, goals, tasks of vocational training for each term of training on the basis of the Education sectorial standard, educational syllabus; a diary with the fixation of practical elements of preparation, and self-assessment of the achieved result; research work that contains presentations, abstracts, texts of speech at conferences, congresses, workshops, etc.; resume; glossary. These components demonstrate the dynamics of praxeological competence formation from the aim of professional training towards the level of its achievement. The importance of future dentists’ foreign language competence formation was substantiated for performing professional activity in international environment. The article sets out the criteria for determining the level of future dentists’ praxeological competence formation which include the availability of systematic training and special skills, integration of knowledge from different subjects; the ability to find, analyze and use information to solve professional problems; the ability to choose the best forms and methods of activity, identify drawbacks and resolve conflicts in working process; the ability to study, analyze, summarize and use the latest experience in the field of professional activity; the ability to design models of professional activity, anticipate and take into account possible obstacles.

Педагогічні умови формування професійної компетентності майбутніх стоматологів на додипломному етапі

Research actuality is conditioned the presence of row of contradictions: between the traditional system of preparation of stomatologies and modern requirements to forming of professional competence of graduating student; between the increase of requirements to the professional competence of stomatologies on the modern stage and their insufficient readiness to practical activity. There is contradiction between organization of educational-cognitive activity in a medical university and future professional activity.The purpose of our work was a discussion of pedagogical terms of forming of professional competence of future dentists at the pre-diploma stage. For the leadthrough of research we analysed scientific-pedagogical literature, concepts defined: terms, pedagogical terms, the general analysed and professional the competence of future dentists, the pedagogical terms of their forming defined.Results testify that exactly pedagogical terms make basis of improvement of educational process of preparation of highly skilled specialists, including future dentists. First pedagogical condition of forming of professional competence of future dentists on the pre-diploma stage is providing of educational process high-quality and effective didactic material, and the second condition is providing of organizational-pedagogical influence on students through modern forms, methods and teaching methods.Key words: pedagogical terms, competence, future dentists.

PREPARATION CONTENT UPDATING OF FUTURE DENTISTS TO PROFESSIONAL INTERACTION

Introduction: One of the most important indicators of the professional training of future dentists, their competitiveness is the development of professional interaction. The aim of the article is to update the content of the training of future dentists to engage in professional interaction. Materials and methods: The study, completed during 2015-2018, was attended by 292 students of the specialty "Stomatology". The research uses the following methods: theoretical - analysis, synthesis, systematization and synthesis of scientific literature; empirical - testing, survey, monitoring, pedagogical experiment to find out the effectiveness of the developed content of training future dentists; methods of mathematical statistics. Results and conclusions: For realization of the research purpose it was specially developed a discipline "Professional interaction of dentists" which is aimed at the realization of the tasks: the acquisition of future dentists theoretical knowledge on problems of communication and interaction; increasing the need for communication, implementing a variety of interactions; the formation of future dentists readiness for the implementation of professional interaction, positive communicative attitude to team interaction and receiving satisfaction from it. The program results of the study of the indicated discipline are presented, content of its modules is disclosed. Interactive forms which are used in the process of training future dentists (trainings, business games, problem situations, etc.) and teaching methods (dialogue-discussion, polygon, brainstorming, method of ideas generation, situational dialogues, etc.) are described. The components of future dentist's readiness for professional interaction are developed: motivational, cognitive, operational and personal. The results of the pedagogical experiment, which proved the effectiveness of the implementation of the special course "Professional Interaction of Dentists», are presented. Statistical analysis of the results of the study made it possible to establish that after studying the special course in the experimental group there was a noticeable significant increase in the number of students assigned to the high level, in addition, the number of future dentists with a low level was significantly reduced.

Деякі аспекти професійної підготовки майбутніх стоматологів методами ситуативного моделювання

Resume. In the modern market of labor, a young dentist finds himself in unequal conditions with experienced specialists, because he has insufficient professional experience and a low level of readiness for the real conditions of practical activity. This situation requires the use in the process of professional training of future dentists in medical universities of such pedagogical technologies, methods of education that will bring the training process as close as possible to the real conditions of practical work. The study was conducted at the Department of Orthopedic Dentistry of the Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University with the participation of students of 2–3 courses of the specialty 221 Dentistry and teachers of specialized disciplines. The methods of situational modelling (imitation and business games, «case study», situational tasks) in the professional training of future dentists are analyzed, their advantages and disadvantages are identified, the possibilities, and feasibility of their use in the teaching of orthopedic dentistry are reviewed. The results indicate that situational modelling methods are effective in the process of professional training of future dentists, since they ensure the formation of professional competence and readiness for future professional activity. The introduction of situational modelling methods in the process of professional training of future dentists requires an understanding of their specifics and features of use in the medical university.Key words: professional training, future dentists, metods of situational modelling.

Future Doctors’ Professional Competence Formation in Medical Universities with Innovative Pedagogical Technologies

The article considers the formation of professional competence in future dentists with the introduction of innovative pedagogical technologies into educational process of dental students. The benefit of these technologies for main of general and specific competencies, particularly for critical/clinical thinking formation, was substantiated and proved by the results of conducted experiment which are presented in the article.

Dental Educators' Perceptions of Educational Learning Domains.

The aim of this study was to seek the views of a national sample of dental educators regarding the importance of learning domains in dental education, their defined outcomes of those domains, and their perceived effectiveness of their schools in guiding learning in those domains. The study defined the educational domains important for training future dentists as knowledge, technical skills, critical thinking, ethics, social responsibility, and interprofessional education/practice (IPE/IPP). A survey of members of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Special Interest Group on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning was conducted in 2017. In addition to reporting their demographics, participants were asked to rate and rank the importance of each learning domain as well as answer open-ended questions. Of the 89 respondents (response rate 12.5%), 31% were course directors, and 48% had been dental faculty members for more than ten years. Knowledge was ranked as the most important domain, followed by critical thinking, technical skills, clinical decision making, ethics, problem-solving, social responsibility, and finally IPE/IPP. When rating the absolute importance of these domains in the training of dental students, the respondents gave all but IPE/IPP and social responsibility the highest rating. Knowledge and technical skills were rated highest for respondents' confidence in defining student outcomes with similar high ratings for their confidence in guiding this learning. There was little consensus concerning a definition of critical thinking, and a third of the respondents were uncertain of specific learning outcomes for it. Participants expressed even less confidence in defining outcomes for ethics, IPE/IPP, and social responsibility. This baseline information will be used for a future in-depth study to aid in the development of strategies for articulating outcomes, guiding learning, and assessing performance in U.S. dental schools.

Dentists' knowledge of chronic orofacial pain.

Orofacial pain (OFP) is a unique group of dental conditions with focus on chronic nonodontogenic pain affecting mouth, jaws, and face. The aim of this study is to investigate the knowledge of dentists in Saudi Arabia toward OFP assessment. An English language questionnaire containing 20 close-ended questions was used to capture data. The questionnaire included diagnostic criteria and clinical symptoms and signs of various OFP conditions. It was distributed to general dental practitioners (GDP) and dental specialists in four major provinces in Saudi Arabia. A total of 318 questionnaires were completed by 163 males and 155 females. Most participants were GDPs (193/318) and the remaining were specialists from different dental specialties. A majority of participants were not able to diagnose neuropathic OFP or neurovascular/vascular OFP conditions (33% and 28.6%, respectively). On the other hand, only 40.3% were confident enough to diagnose different types of temporomandibular disorders. The results also showed that graduates from non-Saudi programs had significantly higher self and knowledge assessment score (59.8% and 43.4%, respectively) compared with graduates from Saudi programs (39.9% and 22.6%, respectively). The dental specialists had higher self-assessment scores compared with GDPs (48% vs. 43.7%). Overall, there was a weak positive correlation between self-assessment and knowledge assessment (20.2%). This study demonstrates a higher OFP knowledge and confidence for dental specialists compared with GDPs. However, this difference does not necessarily translate into more competencies in clinical practice. Therefore, the implementation of OFP courses in dental schools' curricula may benefit future dentists and improve patients' care.

Introduction of interactive teaching methods in the doctors–dentists training

The aim of the work is to evaluate the effectiveness of the “Business Game” method in shaping the skills of a future dentist among students of the 5th year of the dental faculty. The main part of the article includes the experience of using the method of “Business Game” at the Department of Therapeutic Dentistry at National Pirogov Memorial Medical University, Vinnytsya, which facilitates the formation of professional skills and abilities of the future dentist in conditions that are as close as possible to practical health care, stimulates active participation of students in collective collaboration, promotes the introduction of interdisciplinary integration into the educational process. Modelling the professional situation using the “Business Game” method allows students not only to solve the problem, but also to develop tactics of behaviour in conditions that are most closely related to the actual clinical situation that they will encounter during practical activities. They learn to work in a team, defend their own opinion, hold discussions with their opponents. Educational games allow you to improve practical skills and teach students to solve complex clinical problems in the absence of a patient. Using role-playing games during practical classes can increase the interest of students in future professional activities. So, Application of interactive methods in the educational process allowed to reveal the creative abilities of students, promoted the development of clinical thought, the practice of practical skills and skills in conditions that are as close as possible to practical health care. The study showed that the use of the “Business Game” method has increased material absorption by 11.2% compared to the control group. “Business games” stimulates active participation of all students in collective cooperation, promotes the introduction of interdisciplinary integration into the educational process. The usage of the “Business Game” improves the quality of clinical training of the future dentist in the context of reforming the modern health system.

Methodological and organizational aspects of microbiology teaching in dental faculty of national medical university

An important task today is to bring the content of typical and working educational programs, as well as teaching methods to European educational standards for the optimization of the quality of teaching for the successful training of future dentists. The purpose of the work is to consider the methodological aspects of teaching microbiology and the peculiarities of student knowledge control at the Faculty of Dentistry of Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University (DHLNMU). The Department of Microbiology of DHLNMU educational process is carried out under the new curriculum by training the level II specialists. The maximum pedagogical skill of the faculty members of the department is used to create the motivation for studying the discipline “Microbiology, virology and immunology, including microbiology of the oral cavity” and the formation of clinical thinking of students-dentists. In particular, this is achieved through constant emphasis on professional orientation filed on lectures and practical training information, program updates by modern scientific material, facts, using innovative technologies. Achieving these goals is also carried out by independent research work of students. There was created a textbook for students of the Faculty of Dentistry, in which a lot of emphasis was placed on the professional orientation of the outlined teaching material. In particular, a number of parts are devoted to the study of individual representatives of the microflora of the mouth in norm and in pathology, as well as microbiocenosis of the oral cavity in general. In order to optimize the preparation of students, the Web-portal of the University contains working curricula, multimedia presentation of lectures, methodical recommendations for practical classes and independent work with examples of test tasks, examples of situational tasks to each topic in particular. The bases of test tasks for preparation for the final knowledge control are also presented. For foreign students, the teaching staff of the department developed methodological materials in English as well as workbooks, which helps in preparation for practical classes, during practical classes, as well as facilitates the independent study of a number of topics provided by the working curriculum. A collection of test tasks for the preparation of English-speaking students for the “Krok-1” licensed exam has been published. Assessment of knowledge is carried out by the ECTS. The exam includes the control of acquiring practical skills, test tasks, descriptive theoretical questions and situational tasks. The Department of Microbiology of DHLNMU is constantly working on providing the optimal organization of the educational process with the goal of training skilled dentists. Teaching staff constantly improves ensure that the students thorough fundamental knowledge to be useful for their future medical practice.

Dental Students' Evaluations of Practice Management Education and Interest in Business-Related Training: Exploring Attitudes Towards DDS/DMD-MBA Programs.

Being well prepared for a competitive business environment is crucial for future dentists. The aims of this study were to assess dental students' satisfaction with their practice management education, their current and future interest in business-related education and attending a DDS/DMD-MBA program, and the relationship between their demographic and other characteristics and their business education-related responses. The study, conducted in 2016 and 2017, surveyed students in all four years at the authors' home school and at other schools that did not have a DDS/DMD-MBA program. At the home school, 273 students responded (response rate 63%); and 341 students from 11 of the 51 U.S. dental schools without a DDS/DMD-MBA program responded (respondents were from 21% of schools invited; the response rate of those students could not be calculated). The responding students disagreed that their school adequately prepared them for the business aspects of dentistry (mean=2.42 on a scale from 1=disagree strongly to 5=agree strongly). Large majorities agreed/strongly agreed that dentistry is a career that requires a certain amount of business acumen (95%) and that they were very interested in learning about business (85%). A total of 68% agreed/strongly agreed that their school should offer a dual DDS/DMD-MBA degree and 63% that they would consider enrolling in such a program. The more advanced the respondents were, the less satisfied they were with their practice management education (r=-0.20; p<0.001). Female respondents were less interested in business-related education (r=-0.20; p<0.001) and less likely to consider a DDS/DMD-MBA program than the males. Respondents planning to own a dental practice were more interested in additional current business education (r=0.22; p<0.001) and in future business education (r=0.15; p<0.001) than those without that plan. These results showed that a significant percentage of these dental students were interested in a DDS/DMD-MBA program. The male students and students who planned to own a practice were more interested in business education than the female students and students who did not plan to own their own practice.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) and its vaccine: awareness and opinions of clinical dental students in a UK dental school.

Dental clinicians are in a position to educate their patients on the subject of HPV as part of a primary healthcare multidisciplinary team and to detect HPV-related disease. Attention needs to be paid to dental undergraduate teaching on the topic. This study aims to ascertain awareness and opinions of our dental undergraduate students about HPV, its relation to oral health and its vaccine. A questionnaire was distributed to undergraduate dental students in clinical years 3, 4 and 5 of the BDS programme at Bristol Dental School. Dental students demonstrated an understanding of HPV and oropharyngeal cancer and expressed that they felt dentists should play a role in health promotion in relation to oropharyngeal cancers. They also wished for more teaching on the subject and suggested topic areas that they wished to know more about. New teaching strategies on the topic of HPV should be considered for inclusion into undergraduate dental programmes and encompass both knowledge and communication skills training to prepare future dentists for their role in confronting this preventable disease.