Mapping the medical status of patients in a dental school: adapting dental curricula to demographic change - a cross-sectional study

Background: Medical assessment of patients treated by dental school students with regard to medical history, medication use and allergies to determine potential medical risks of the changing population structure and to develop implications for future curriculum design. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the medical records of patients, treated between November 2020 and October 2021, for demographic data (age, sex), allergies, systemic disorders, existing diseases, and medication use. Diseases were categorized according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), while medication was classified based on the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) Classification. A statistical analysis of the correlations between patient characteristics and prevalence data was performed. Conclusion: The observed advanced age profile of the patients and its correlation with the prevalence of systemic diseases, medication use, and allergies demonstrated the medical complexity of dental patients care. These observations emphasize the importance of providing undergraduates but also postgraduates with a more comprehensive medical education to prepare them to effectively treat medically complex patients.