Virginia Via Research Day Book 2026

Medical Student Research Public Health

01 PROMOTION OF WHOLE PERSON CARE: EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF PRIMARY CARE TO INCLUDE BASIC ORAL HEALTH

Madeleine Sifford, Delaney Connolly, Anneli Kramer, Siddhant Pathak, Zachary Morris, Aashima Sagar, Leena Seyam, Jessica Nicholson, Bernard Kadio, MD, MPH, PhD Corresponding author: dconnolly@vcom.edu

VCOM-Virginia, Blacksburg,Virginia Virginia Poverty Law Center

standardized oral health screening package for frontline physicians. IRB Statement: This project has been approved by the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Institutional Review Board, 2315396-1, approved August 7, 2025.

Context: Rural regions of Virginia face a substantial shortage of oral healthcare providers. Recent data indicate that Montgomery County has one dentist per 1,940 residents, while Floyd County has one per 5,210 residents. This shortage contributes to significant unmet oral health needs, which can exacerbate systemic health complications. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate local physicians’ oral health knowledge, perceptions of barriers to care, and willingness to incorporate a basic oral health screening package into clinical practice. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, a modified version of a previously validated questionnaire was administered to physicians at LewisGale Montgomery Hospital, yielding 28 responses.

Results: Statistical analysis revealed that 96.43% of surveyed physicians believed clinicians should assess patients’ oral health status either “frequently” or “occasionally.” However, 78.57% reported performing such assessments for only 1–25% of their patients. This gap between belief and practice likely reflects physician-identified barriers, including insufficient training and limited access to educational materials. Notably, 82.14% of respondents indicated a willingness to implement basic oral health screenings if provided with appropriate training and resources. Conclusion: These findings suggest that enhancing physician engagement and education in oral health represents a promising strategy to address disparities and improve access to preventive oral healthcare in underserved rural communities. Future research will focus on the development and implementation of a

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16 Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM)