Advancing Oral Health Knowledge and Attitudes of Physician Assistant Students Using the Smiles for Life Oral Health Curriculum

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine's Smiles for Life: A National Oral Health Curriculum on the knowledge and attitudes of physician assistant students regarding oral health. METHODS: Seventy-two didactic year physician assistant students from one physician assistant program were surveyed to assess their knowledge and attitudes regarding oral health prior to starting the Smiles for Life oral health curriculum. The students were electronically surveyed a second time 1 week after completing all online modules in the Smiles for Life oral health curriculum. RESULTS: Precourse and postcourse survey response rates were 57% and 36%, respectively. The mean of the attitude statements increased from 3.20 on the precourse survey to 3.87 on the postcourse survey (P=.0012). The mean number of correct responses on the knowledge questions increased from 6.83 on the precourse survey to 9.85 on the postcourse survey (P<.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Statistically significant improvements in the attitudes toward oral health and oral health knowledge of physician assistant students after completion of the Smiles for Life curriculum were observed. This study illustrates the effectiveness of the Smiles for Life curriculum as an interprofessional educational experience. This curriculum can be completed online and does not require faculty expertise in oral health, thus removing previously cited barriers to incorporating oral health into the physician assistant curriculum.