Sleep Medicine Education in Dental Schools and Residency Programs in Italian Universities

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT07624110

Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS70 enrolled

Overview

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.

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.

Study Type

OBSERVATIONAL

Enrollment

Conditions

Sleep Apnea Syndrome, Obstructive Dental Education Sleep-disordered Breathing

Interventions

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

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)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Presence and extent of sleep medicine education within Italian undergraduate dental programs and postgraduate residency programs in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry

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.

Time frame: Baseline

Secondary Outcomes

Comparison of sleep medicine education content and quantity between Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry residency programs

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.