Advanced general dentistry program directors' attitudes and behaviors regarding pediatric dental training for residents.

The oral health of children became a more prominent concern with the U.S. surgeon general's report on oral health in America in 2000. The purpose of our study was 1) to assess General Practice Residency (GPR) and Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) (here jointly referred to as advanced general dentistry [AGD] programs) directors' current behaviors with regard to pediatric training of residents and 2) to assess their attitudes about which components of pediatric oral health training should be included in AGD programs. A twenty-one item survey was mailed to all GPR and AEGD programs accessed through the American Dental Association website. Seventy percent of directors (N=187) completed and returned the survey. Responses indicated that AGD residents receive adequate clinical exposure to pediatric patients and provide much-needed services to uninsured, underinsured, and underserved people. Although clinical training in pediatric treatment was high, didactic hours focused on pediatric treatment did not seem commensurate with clinical activity. Program directors indicated strong attitudinal support for teaching residents many components of pediatric oral health care, although most directors have concerns over increasing didactic hours spent on pediatric oral health due to already crowded curricula. Approximately 88 percent of directors said that they would implement a pediatric oral health module in their curricula if they had access to one.