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Medical problems dental students could identify part 2: Osteoporosis

BDJ Student volume 27, pages 44–46 (2020)Cite this article

By Jay Patel

A century on, the words of Sir William Osler continue to remind us of our duty: 'the good physician treats the disease; the great physician treats the patient who has the disease'. The medical history is an integral aspect of assessing patients' health status across all healthcare disciplines. Dental students are no strangers to observing numerous medical problems affecting individuals, particularly when deciphering a laundry list of medications. Although the aim of anamnesis is to paint a complete landscape of our patients' general health, it should be recognised that these paintings may lack a few strokes of the brush. This consideration extends to potentially undiagnosed conditions. In the spirit of this series, attention will be drawn to the role of dental care workers in identifying signs of osteoporosis - an acquired, non-communicable skeletal disorder.

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  1. School of Dentistry, University of Leeds, Worsley Building, Clarendon Way, LS2 9LU, Leeds, UK

    Jay Patel

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Patel, J. Medical problems dental students could identify part 2: Osteoporosis. BDJ Student 27, 44–46 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-020-0111-4

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