Traditional Chinese medicine and contemporary dentistry for holistic periodontal care

Abstract

Aim: This project aimed to investigate the level of mutual understanding of the students in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and dental schools in Hong Kong regarding management of periodontal health and problems, and the undergraduate teaching in this aspect. Methods: Information on the undergraduate teaching regarding management of periodontal health and problems in the TCM and dental schools was collected by conducting interviews with the respective undergraduate programme directors. Their views on integrated care were also recorded. Information on the knowledge and opinions of the students of the TCM and dental schools was collected through the use of self-administered questionnaires. Results: The teachers and undergraduate programme directors of the TCM schools in the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) were interviewed. It was found that there were no specific teaching in the undergraduate curriculums of the TCM and dental schools regarding the management of periodontal health and problems by the counter profession. A total of 36 Year 4 and Year 5 TCM students of HKU completed the survey questionnaire. Only 39% of the TCM students thought that they had an understanding of periodontal disease in terms of Western medicine. They had a better knowledge regarding the symptoms and diagnosis of periodontal disease but poorer knowledge on the pathology and treatment. Two thirds of the students agreed that interdisciplinary collaboration is essential to effectively manage periodontal disease. In the survey of dental students, 84 Years 4 and 5 students responded. Among them, only 13% agreed that they had an understanding of periodontal disease in terms TCM. They had a better knowledge on the TCM treatment methods but poorer knowledge on the causes. Only 40% of the dental students thought that collaboration between TCM practitioner and dentist is essential. Conclusions: The undergraduate students in the TCM and dental schools in Hong Kong have limited knowledge regarding the causes and management of periodontal problems from the perspective of their counter profession. Cross-discipline teaching in the TCM and dental schools is minimal. The TCM school teachers and students have a positive and enthusiastic outlook towards developing integrated care in managing periodontal health and problems, while the dental school teachers and students maintain a conservative view.