A protected time policy to improve dental health among resident physicians

Background. Resident physicians underuse preventive dental health services. The authors assessed the barriers to and need for oral health care among residents and piloted a program to enhance dental health care among house staff. Methods. Participants from 5 residency programs received 2 hours of protected time during business hours for visits to a nearby dental office. The authors surveyed participating residents before and after the visits about barriers to seeking oral health care and their experiences with the program. The authors recorded dental findings for each participant. Results. A total of 35 of 243 eligible residents (14.4%) participated in the study; 71.4% reported delaying or skipping preventive dental examinations during residency. Lack of time and norms and peer perceptions were important barriers; 28.6% of residents had dental findings requiring further management. Conclusions. Residents neglect preventive oral health care because of work obligations. More than one-quarter of residents had clinically significant dental findings. Providing protected time addressed common barriers and was well received. Practical Implications. Resident physicians have unmet oral health care needs. Collaborations between residency programs and dental practices to provide protected time for residents to seek oral health care could address common barriers to care.