Dental school caries and periodontitis risk analysis skillset: survey of carryover to practice

David C Johnsen; Carlos Garaicoa-Pazmino; Aditi Jain; Leonardo Marchini; Kim Vo; Sara Miller; Jack Rossi; Wei Shi; Derek Smith

doi:10.1186/s12909-026-09804-5

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Dental school caries and periodontitis risk analysis skillset: survey of carryover to practice

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Dental school caries and periodontitis risk analysis skillset: survey of carryover to practice

David C Johnsen, Carlos Garaicoa-Pazmino, Aditi Jain, Leonardo Marchini, Kim Vo, Sara Miller, Jack Rossi, Wei Shi and Derek Smith

BMC medical education

07/01/2026

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-09804-5

PMID: 42387601

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Abstract

Scarce evidence is available in how clinicians process the management of high-risk individuals in real-world scenarios. The purpose of the present study is to discern the degree to which graduates apply explicit risk analysis skillsets in practice over time, and how graduates prioritize risk factors for caries and periodontitis. The importance of risk factors for caries and periodontitis and management of low/high risk private practice patients were surveyed among dental graduates within the last ten years. Surveys were sent from August 2025 through October 2025. Data patterns were observed with statistics as support. A total of 73 surveys were obtained. For 75% of respondents, risk level influenced treatment planning. For caries-affected patients, respondents ranked risk from highest to lowest with all being considered worthy: oral hygiene, current disease level, patient compliance, sugared beverages, xerostomia, prognosis, no treatment/monitor conditions for up to 5 years, dental literacy, fluoride exposure, social barriers, and general health. For periodontitis, respondents' rankings were similar with smoking and diabetes also ranking high. Most respondents (71%) stated that they adapted ideas from dental school to practice and were more likely to score low risk patients with a more optimistic prognosis than high risk patients. Dental graduates take risk factors into account in making patient decisions in practice. Similarities in the thought process was noted in determining risk for caries- and periodontitis-affected patients. Oral hygiene, current disease level, and patient compliance are risk factors with consistent high ratings for both caries and periodontitis, indicating the importance of engaging the patient to improve health.

Caries

Survey

Periodontitis

Critical thinking

Risk assessment

Details

Title: Subtitle: Dental school caries and periodontitis risk analysis skillset: survey of carryover to practice
Creators: David C Johnsen - Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Iowa City, IA, USA. david-johnsen@uiowa.edu
Carlos Garaicoa-Pazmino - University of Iowa, Periodontics
Aditi Jain - University of Iowa
Leonardo Marchini - University of Iowa
Kim Vo - University of Iowa
Sara Miller - University of Iowa
Jack Rossi - University of Iowa
Wei Shi - College of Dentistry, Iowa Oral Health Research Institute, Iowa City, IA, USA
Derek Smith - University of Iowa
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: BMC medical education
DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-09804-5
PMID: 42387601
NLM abbreviation: BMC Med Educ
ISSN: 1472-6920
eISSN: 1472-6920
Publisher: Springer Nature
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 07/01/2026
Academic Unit: Preventive and Community Dentistry; Biostatistics; Pediatric Dentistry; Operative Dentistry; Dental Research; Periodontics
Record Identifier: 9985179096402771

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