To explore the cognitive status of periodontal medicine (the relationship between periodontal and systemic diseases) among undergraduates of stomatology and provide reference for the teaching reform of periodontology.

On February 2021, a total of 254 undergraduates from Grade 2017 to 2020 in the School of Stomatology in a medical university in Guangdong Province were selected. Students′ basic cognition, analysis and application ability (the relationship between periodontal disease and hospital infection, ethics, etc.) of periodontal medicine were investigated by questionnaire. Analysis of variance and other methods were used to compare the ability differences between different grades.

A total of 154 valid questionnaires were recovered (73 males, 81 females, recovery rate 60.63%). The scores of Grades 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017 were 34 ± 9, 42 ± 6, 45 ± 7, and 43 ± 6 (out of 64), respectively, which were significantly different between grades (F = 17.737, P<0.001). The gap was mainly in the basic cognitive ability of periodontal medicine (out of 44), and the score of Grade 2020 was 6-9 points lower than that of the other three grades (P<0.001). In terms of analysis ability (out of 15) and application ability (out of 5), the scores of the four grades were not more than 60% of the full score, and there was no significant difference between grades.

Undergraduates who had the theoretical course of periodontology got the basics of periodontal medicine, but lacked deep understanding and application ability. The hospital infection prevention and control, and the systematic clinical thinking need to be strengthened in the periodontology teaching.