Undergraduate teaching in gerodontology in Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
OBJECTIVE
To survey the present state of undergraduate teaching in the domain of gerodontology in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.


METHODS
All universities of Austria (A), Germany (D) and Switzerland (CH).


METHODS
A questionnaire on undergraduate teaching in gerodontology was mailed to all Deans (A: n = 3; CH: n = 4; D: n = 31) and all independent departments except paediatric dentistry and orthodontics (A: n = 11; CH: n = 15; D: n = 111).


RESULTS
The questionnaires were completed and returned by 29 Deans (A: n = 2; CH: n = 4; D: n = 23) and 102 departments (A: n = 7; CH: n = 8; D: n = 87). In Austria, gerodontology is a very small component of the dental curriculum and the Deans did not want this to be increased. Most German universities claimed to teach some aspects of gerodontology to undergraduate students and 87.4% of the Deans voted for separate lectures in gerodontology. In Switzerland, gerodontology seems well established. The results of questionnaires from the independent departments revealed that in all three countries lectures were more prevalent (A: n = 0; CH: n = 4; D: n = 6) than practical training in nursing homes (A: n = 0; CH: n = 3; D: n = 6).


CONCLUSIONS
Considering the demographical shift which is leading to an increasing proportion of elderly in the population, the weighting of gerodontology in the undergraduate dental curriculum should be considered for revision in Austria and Germany.
Nitschke
Ina
I
Department of Prosthetic Dentistry and Dental Materials, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. ina.nitschke@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
Müller
Frauke
F
Ilgner
Alexander
A
Reiber
Thomas
T
D001317:Austria; D003479:Curriculum; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000379:methods*; D005850:Geriatric Dentistry / Q000193:education*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland; D013663:Teaching