A survey of oral medicine education, training and practice among dermatologists in the UK and Ireland.

BACKGROUND

Oral mucocutaneous diseases are common and patients with these conditions are frequently assessed by dermatologists. An accurate and comprehensive oral examination is important for a complete dermatological assessment.

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess education and training, knowledge, and clinical practice of oral medicine among dermatologists in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted by means of an internet-based survey tool. This was available to British Association of Dermatology (BAD) members in UK and Ireland on the association's website. Members were asked to respond to a 10-part questionnaire that enquired about their knowledge of oral diseases, training in oral medicine, performing an oral examination and oral biopsy.

RESULTS

Completed responses were received from 95 dermatologists. The majority of respondents were consultant dermatologists (72%) who were university based. While the majority reported that knowledge of oral diseases was important, only 52% were confident in recognising the normal variants of the oral cavity. Just 55% were confident in recognising oral malignancy and even less (42%) the different forms of oral ulceration. Over three-quarters had never attended an oral medicine clinic or attended an external oral medicine course as part of their training. Two thirds had not been taught normal oral anatomy or how to perform an oral examination. The majority reported that their training in oral medicine was not adequate to perform their job.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that in this, albeit small, group of dermatology specialists and trainees most appear ill-equipped to recognise and diagnose diseases of the oral cavity due to a lack of training in oral medicine.