Dentistry and Obesity: A Review and Current Status in US Predoctoral Dental Education

Obesity has become an epidemic and a public health concern in the United States and many other countries around the world. The impact of obesity on individuals' overall and oral health and its influence on dental treatment protocols and postoperative procedures have been well documented. It is therefore important for dentists to understand and recognize obesity, educate their patients on its associated risks, promote a healthy lifestyle for their patients, and modify any necessary dental treatments and postoperative procedures for obese patients. To investigate the current practice of obesity assessment in U.S. dental school clinics and the inclusion of obesity topics in predoctoral dental curricula, surveys were sent to all sixty-two U.S. dental schools. Thirty-five surveys were returned but one was blank because the institution is newly established, so the total number used for analysis was thirty-four. The results showed that the topic of obesity has been incorporated into predoctoral dental curricula and is thought to be important for dentists and dental students by most respondents. However, the majority do not routinely measure weight and height, nor calculate Body Mass Index for comprehensive care patients in their predoctoral dental clinics. The authors argue that the topic of obesity should be emphasized in predoctoral dental curricula and that assessments of obesity should be practiced in predoctoral dental clinics.