In 2018, Aichi Dental Association (ADA) initiated a project to increase dentists' awareness of viral hepatitis. At the lectures presented by ADA, not only hepatologists, but also dentists with specialized knowledge of hepatitis, presented updates on hepatitis and standard precautions. In 2020, a survey (response rate 23.1% [902/3,902]) was conducted among dentists in the ADA. Dentists who attended the lectures hoped to attend repeatedly, introduce hepatitis patients to medical doctors (all p < 0.001), and practice standard precautions (p = 0.07). Because dentists obtain information on underlying diseases by interviewing their patients, further improvement can be expected if the approach is continued. A more effective project, specializing in viral hepatitis in dentistry, will be modeled and rolled out.
