Sleep Medicine Education in Dental Schools and Residency Programs in Italian Universities

Sleep Medicine Training in Dentistry at Italian Universities: A Prospective Observational Study

This study aims to assess whether sleep medicine education is provided within Italian undergraduate dental programs (Degree in Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics) and postgraduate specialization programs in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. A secondary objective is to compare the level of sleep medicine exposure between Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry residency programs.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) affects 9% to 49% of the general population and is associated with multiple comorbidities and reduced life expectancy. Despite its high prevalence, a large proportion of patients remain undiagnosed, partly due to limited education among healthcare professionals. Dental sleep medicine is an emerging field; the Italian Ministry of Health has called upon dentists to act as "diagnostic sentinels" for patients at risk of sleep disorders. Orthodontists and pediatric dentists are also involved in the treatment of some sleep disorders through mandibular advancement devices (MADs) and palatal expansion appliances. Recent studies have highlighted a lack of sleep medicine training in dental programs in the United States; however, no study has ever been conducted in Italy to assess the level of exposure of dental students and residents to sleep dentistry.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Directors of undergraduate Dentistry and Dental Prosthetics degree programs in Italian universities whose email address is publicly available online
• Directors of postgraduate residency programs in Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry in Italian universities whose email address is publicly available online

Exclusion Criteria:

- Directors affiliated with the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS or the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (to avoid conflict of interest)