Journal of dental education
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The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the Prenatal Oral Health Program (pOHP) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on medical students' oral health-related knowledge, confidence, attitudes, and dental referral practices. Specifically, the study sought to determine these students' ability to screen, counsel, and refer their patients to a dental home and their overall knowledge regarding the safety of dental treatment for pregnant patients. The study used a pre- and post-intervention survey design with intervention and control groups. ⋯ The results showed that the pOHP positively and significantly influenced students in the intervention group on all clinical constructs except their knowledge about treatment safety during pregnancy. Clinically examining a woman's mouth for signs of dental disease resulted in greater likelihood of making referrals by 26.5 times. These findings suggest that implementing prenatal oral health in a multi-method manner can effectively promote interdisciplinary coordinated care, meet interprofessional education accreditation standards, and aid in implementing practice guidelines in medical school curricula.