title: Awareness regarding the systemic effects of periodontal disease among medical interns in India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical curriculum does not provide required space for oral health; hence, many medical interns are unfamiliar with the oral cavity and oral health research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the level of awareness regarding systemic effects of periodontal disease among medical interns.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional qualitative study recruiting medical interns from two medical institutions affiliated to two different universities in Southern India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study was carried out in two medical institutions affiliated to two different universities in Southern India. A total of 143 interns participated in the study. Each participant was given a self-administered, pre-tested, multiple choice question-type questionnaire to solve on the spot. In order to summarise the awareness level, respondents were graded on a five-level scale as poor, fair, good, very good, and excellent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Percentages, proportions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 67 respondents (47%) had fair; 60(42%), poor; and 18(11%), good level of awareness regarding the systemic effects of periodontal disease. Only 23(16%), 17(12%), 12(8%), 6(4%) and 4(3%) respondents were aware that the periodontal disease may be the possible risk factor for coronary heart disease, cerebral infarction, diabetes mellitus, hospital-acquired pneumonia, and preterm labour (low birth-weight infants), respectively. Only 12 respondents (8%) would seek dentist's opinion for all patients with systemic diseases related to dental disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical interns had inadequate awareness regarding the systemic effects of periodontal disease. Therefore, an integrated teaching of medical and dental sciences is recommended.
authors: Department of Periodontics, A. B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Mangalore, India.
authors: Arpita
authors: A
authors: Gur
authors: Jp
authors: J
authors: Majra