Teaching of Geriatric Dentistry at Dentistry Colleges of the Brazilian North-Northeast

Abstract

SUMMARY Objective: this research aimed at studying out the situation of the teaching of Geriatric Dentistry in the north-northeast regions of Brazil. Material and methods: the research universe was comprised of the 18 colleges of both regions that are listed with INESP/2001. This list was adopted as a way to make sure that only and indeed about-to-graduate students or those of last period of the course would take part in the research. To calculate the (randomly stratified) sample, we adopted a confidence interval of 95% and a maximal admissible error of 5%. We elaborated two questionnaires to collect the data, each one with a number of questions going from 8 to 14, either of the closed type or mixed. Pearson’s X2 test was applied for inferential analysis as an aim to check the existence of a relationship among the dependent and independent variables established for the study. Out of the 17 Dentistry courses researched, only 06 keeps the teaching of Dentistry in the syllabus. Out of the 419 students who participated in the research, 41.8% pursued the knowledge outside college – most of them in congresses. 23.6% would rather work with elders. 98.8% understand it would be important to have the subject included in the syllabus. The was significance (p,0.05) between the student’s preference of working with elders and his participation in buccal health action. Conclusions: As a subject or content, Geriatric Dentistry is not present to the syllabus of two thirds of the researched Dentistry courses. Its knowledge is usually made available in Dental Prosthesis. For an expressive parcel of students, no technical-practical formation was offered by the course. And for most of them, the preference to act as a professional finds support in adult assisting. The number of about-to-graduate students willing to get involved in this area is rather expressive. DESCRIPTORS Geriatric Dentistry. Dental syllabus. Teaching. Elder.