- A Survey on Headache Education Curriculum in College of Dentistry
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Jin Kyu Kang, Ji-Won Ryu, Seong-Taek Kim
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Korean J Headache. 2023;24(2):66-69. Published online December 31, 2023
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Abstract
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- Background
Headache is a common pain condition encountered in clinical practice. Many patients visit a doctor or dentist complaining of headaches accompanied by toothaches or facial pain. However, it has been reported that education on headaches is insufficient in medical schools, which is believed to be a more serious problem in dental schools.
Methods We surveyed the current status of headache education curriculum in 11 dental schools in Korea.
Results In most dental schools, headache education was provided as part of orofacial pain course within the oral medicine program. Only two universities covered headache as an in-depth postgraduate course. Lectures were delivered by oral medicine faculty, and only one university included a neurologist as part of the team teaching. Dental textbooks still described headaches based on the 2nd edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders.
Conclusion Currently, headache education in dental schools in Korea is inadequate and outdated. Considering the specificity of dentists who are in charge of pain in oral and facial region, continuous discussions and mutual cooperation with the neurology department are necessary to ensure sufficient education related to headaches during the undergraduate course.
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