Dental Sleep Medicine Education Amongst Accredited Orthodontic Programmes in Thailand

Supakit Peanchitlertkajorn; Premthip Chalidapongse; Thanyaluck Jiansuwannapas; Nattaporn Surinsirirat; Patipan Khamphuang; Paweelada Boonyai; Kawin Sipiyaruk

doi:10.1016/j.identj.2023.10.020

Dental Sleep Medicine Education Amongst Accredited Orthodontic Programmes in Thailand

Int Dent J. 2023 Dec 2:S0020-6539(23)00964-4. doi: 10.1016/j.identj.2023.10.020. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Supakit Peanchitlertkajorn¹, Premthip Chalidapongse², Thanyaluck Jiansuwannapas³, Nattaporn Surinsirirat³, Patipan Khamphuang³, Paweelada Boonyai³, Kawin Sipiyaruk⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
² Division of Oral Diagnostic Science, Faculty of Dentistry, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.
³ Doctor of Dental Surgery Program, Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
⁴ Department of Orthodontics, Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: kawin.sip@mahidol.ac.th.

PMID: 38044215
DOI: 10.1016/j.identj.2023.10.020

Abstract

Background: Dental sleep medicine education (DSME) should be emphasised in postgraduate orthodontic training; however, there appears to be no clear guideline for its implementation into the curriculum.

Objective: The aim was to investigate the current status of DSME as well as its feasibility and implementation in postgraduate orthodontic programmes.

Methods: A structured interview with predetermined response options was chosen as a data collection method to gather relevant information from representatives of all accredited postgraduate orthodontic programmes in Thailand. These interviews were conducted online via the Cisco Webex Meeting platform. A combination of data analysis techniques was employed to achieve a thorough comprehension of the research findings, including descriptive statistics, quantitative content analysis, thematic analysis, and alignment analysis.

Results: All participating programmes reported the inclusion of DSME in their curricula. A didactic approach was adopted by all programmes. However, only 2 out of 7 programmes offered clinical sessions for their students. Several challenges in implementing DSME within orthodontic programmes were identified, including a shortage of expertise and limited patient access. The participants also suggested that knowledge and resource sharing amongst institutions could serve as a potential solution to enhance the feasibility of DSME.

Conclusions: This research highlighted the significant disparities and inadequacy of DSME within postgraduate orthodontic programmes in Thailand due to various challenges. Consequently, there is a compelling need to place greater emphasis on DSME and establish a national-level standardisation within orthodontic programmes. This effort is essential for enhancing the awareness and competency of orthodontists in the field of DSME.

Keywords: Curriculum design; Dental education; Dental sleep medicine; Obstructive sleep apnoea; Orthodontics.