An International Survey of Female Dental Students' Perceptions About Gender Bias and Sexual Misconduct at Four Dental Schools.

As women enter the dental profession in increasing numbers in North America and around the world, the questions of how they perceive their environment and what kind of barriers they face are important subjects to be addressed. The aim of this study was to assess and compare women dental students' perceptions of bias in their environment and experiences of sexual misconduct at one dental school in each of four countries. In spring 2017, 1,293 female students at four dental schools in the U.S., Bulgaria, Brazil, and India were invited to participate in a 24-item survey developed by researchers from the four countries; 990 students responded (response rate 76.6%). The overall majority of the respondents reported thinking the admissions process at their school was fair (79.7%); but a fifth of U.S. and Brazilian students perceived their school was not fully embracing of females, with most Bulgarian students agreeing (87.2%) and all Indian students disagreeing. Most respondents overall perceived that male faculty members did not favor male students (79.5%) and did not think there was discrimination against female students by faculty (87.1%), but half of the U.S. respondents reported feeling discriminated against by both male faculty and male students. When the responses "I've been verbally harassed" and "I've been somewhat verbally harassed" were combined, 10.1% of the U.S. respondents reported verbal harassment, compared to 20% of Brazilian, 15% of Bulgarian, and 2% of Indian respondents. When the responses "I've been sexually assaulted" and "I've been somewhat sexually assaulted" were combined, 6% of U.S. respondents reported being sexually assaulted, compared to 6.2% of Brazilian, 2.5% of Bulgarian, and none of the Indian respondents. Almost half (46.9%) of these students overall perceived their school was not or only somewhat vigilant about issues of sexual misconduct, and only 54% said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable reporting misconduct. These results suggest that academic dental institutions in all four countries need improvements to make their environments more equitable and free of bias and sexual misconduct.

The teaching of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain at undergraduate level in Brazilian dental schools

Objectives: Evaluate the way the topics for the study of pain mechanisms in general, and Orofacial Pain (OFP) and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) more specifically, are addressed in undergraduate courses curricula, and also to verify the existence of specialist OFP/TMD teachers in Brazilian dental schools. Methods: Between July 2010 and January 2011, course Coordinators/Directors of all dental schools duly registered at the Ministry of Education were invited to answer a questionnaire on topics related to OFP/TMD teaching in their institutions. Results: Fifty-three dental schools representatives answered the questionnaire. The study of pain mechanisms was found to cover an average of less than 10% of the courses' total time. Pharmacology, Endodontics and Physiology were identified as the departments usually responsible for addressing pain mechanisms in dental courses. Psychosocial aspects were found to occupy a very small proportion in the syllabi, while most of the content referred to biological or somatic aspects. OFP/TMD is addressed by a specific department in only 28.4% of the participating dental schools, while in most cases (46.3%), OFP/TMD is under the responsibility of the Prosthodontics department. Only 38.5% of respondents indicated that they had a specialist OFP/TMD teacher in their Schools. Conclusion: Among the Brazilian dental schools participating in the study, the teaching of OFP/TMD was found to be insufficient, segmented or with an extremely restricted focus. This initial assessment indicates that Curricular Guidelines for the study of OFP/TMD at undergraduate dental schools should be developed and implemented to facilitate their appropriate inclusion into the curricula and in specific pedagogical projects. .

The teaching of temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain at undergraduate level in Brazilian dental schools.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the way the topics for the study of pain mechanisms in general, and Orofacial Pain (OFP) and temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) more specifically, are addressed in undergraduate courses curricula, and also to verify the existence of specialist OFP/TMD teachers in Brazilian dental schools. METHODS: Between July 2010 and January 2011, course Coordinators/Directors of all dental schools duly registered at the Ministry of Education were invited to answer a questionnaire on topics related to OFP/TMD teaching in their institutions. RESULTS: Fifty-three dental schools representatives answered the questionnaire. The study of pain mechanisms was found to cover an average of less than 10% of the courses' total time. Pharmacology, Endodontics and Physiology were identified as the departments usually responsible for addressing pain mechanisms in dental courses. Psychosocial aspects were found to occupy a very small proportion in the syllabi, while most of the content referred to biological or somatic aspects. OFP/TMD is addressed by a specific department in only 28.4% of the participating dental schools, while in most cases (46.3%), OFP/TMD is under the responsibility of the Prosthodontics department. Only 38.5% of respondents indicated that they had a specialist OFP/TMD teacher in their Schools. CONCLUSION: Among the Brazilian dental schools participating in the study, the teaching of OFP/TMD was found to be insufficient, segmented or with an extremely restricted focus. This initial assessment indicates that Curricular Guidelines for the study of OFP/TMD at undergraduate dental schools should be developed and implemented to facilitate their appropriate inclusion into the curricula and in specific pedagogical projects.

Dental school deans' and dentists' perceptions of infection control and HIV/AIDS patient care: a challenge for dental education in Mexico.

HIV/AIDS patients face unique oral diagnostic and treatment challenges. The aim of this investigation among dental school deans (DSD) and graduate school applicants (GSA) who had qualified from 30 different dental schools was to assess their perceptions on dental education relevant to infection control (IC) and HIV/AIDS patient care. The questionnaire included Likert-type scale evaluations of agreement with statements. Of 158 questionnaires, 23 DSD (68% response rate), and 123 GSA (100% response rate) returned valid questionnaires. Fifteen (65%) DSD and 89 (72%) GSA ranked as "very strong" their perception that infection control prevents the transmission of blood borne viruses. However, the perception prevailed, among DSD and GSA, that HIV infection was a "very strong" to "strong" occupational hazard. Special reprocessing of instruments used on HIV patients was frequently reported. Many considered "very strong" to "strong" that HIV/AIDS patients must be treated in specialized clinics, and nearly half (48%) of the DSD and one third (35%) of the GSA stated that their school does refer HIV/AIDS patients to dental treatment in specialized clinics. These results indicate that many dental schools in Mexico must provide better education on IC and HIV/AIDS patient care to enhance attitudes toward HIV/AIDS patients.

Transferring ART research into education in Brazil.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study was to evaluate the teaching of the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) approach in Brazilian dental schools. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire on this subject was sent to Pediatric Dentistry, Operative Dentistry and Public Health Dentistry professors. The questions approached the following subjects: the method used to teach ART, the time spent on its teaching, under which discipline it is taught, for how many years ART has been taught and its effect on the DMFT index. RESULTS: A total of 70 out of 202 dental schools returned the questionnaire. The ART approach is taught in the majority of the Brazilian dental schools (96.3%), and in most of these schools it is taught both in theory and in clinical practice (62.9%). The majority (35.3%) of professors teach ART for 8 hours, and most often as part of the Pediatric Dentistry discipline (67.6%). It has been taught for the last 7 to 10 years in 34.3% of dental schools. Most professors did not observe a change in the DMFT index with this approach. There is a diversity in the teaching of ART in Brazil in terms of the number of hours spent, the teaching method (theory and practice), and the disciplines involved in its teaching. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to address the training of professors in the ART approach for the whole country. An educational model is proposed whereby a standard ART module features as part of other preventive and restorative caries care educational modules. This will facilitate and standardize the introduction and adoption of the ART approach in undergraduate education in Brazil.

Transferring ART research into education in Brazil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the teaching of the Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) approach in Brazilian dental schools. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire on this subject was sent to Pediatric Dentistry, Operative Dentistry and Public Health Dentistry professors. The questions approached the followig subjects: the method used to teach ART, the time spent on its teaching, under which discipline it is taught, for how many years ART has been taught and its effect on the DMFT index. RESULTS: A total of 70 out of 202 dental schools returned the questionnaire. The ART approach is taught in the majority of the Brazilian dental schools (96.3 percent), and in most of these schools it is taught both in theory and in clinical practice (62.9 percent). The majority (35.3 percent) of professors teach ART for 8 hours, and most often as part of the Pediatric Dentistry discipline (67.6 percent). It has been taught for the last 7 to 10 years in 34.3 percent of dental schools. Most professors did not observe a change in the DMFT index with this approach. There is a diversity in the teaching of ART in Brazil in terms of the number of hours spent, the teaching method (theory and practice), and the disciplines involved in its teaching. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to address the training of professors in the ART approach for the whole country. An educational model is proposed whereby a standard ART module features as part of other preventive and restorative caries care educational modules. This will facilitate and standardize the introduction and adoption of the ART approach in undergraduate education in Brazil.

Concepções de Avaliação da Aprendizagem: um estudo da perspectiva de docentes do Curso de Odontologia do Centro Universitário do Pará / Learning evaluation conceptions: a study from the perspective of the faculty of the Dentistry Course of the Pará University Center

O propósito deste artigo é apresentar resultados parciais de um estudo sobre concepções e práticas de avaliação de aprendizagem de docentes do Curso de Odontologia do Centro Universitário do Pará - CESUPA. O objetivo principal é analisar as concepções e significados atribuídos pelos docentes às atividades avaliativas discentes. O percurso metodológico compreendeu uma revisão bibliográfica sobre avaliação do processo-ensino aprendizagem, a seleção de depoimentos oriundos de questionário semi-estruturado aplicado junto a 16 docentes do Curso de Odontologia; sistematização, análise e discussão dos resultados, orientadas pela técnica de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados revelam o predomínio de uma concepção formativa de suas práticas avaliativas, além da presença de uma prática docente mais crítica e transformadora (AU).

The objective of the present study was to consider the evaluation practices of the Dentistry Course of the Pará University Center (CESUPA). The main purpose was to analyze conceptions and meanings attributed by the faculty to their evaluation practices. The methodological process involved a bibliographic review of higher education teaching, emphasizing both national and international scientific productions, particularly texts on the learning evaluation and specifically on the teaching of dentistry; a questionnaire applied to 16 professors from different years of the Dentistry Course; systematization of data; and analysis and discussion of the results through content analysis. The results revealed the predominance of a formative conception of their evaluation practices (AU).

Participação de docentes do Curso de Odontologia da Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros- Unimontes em atividades de pesquisa e extensão: estudo retrospectivo / Participation of teachers of the Course of Dentistry of the State University of Montes Claros- Unimontes in activities of research and extension: a retrospective

Este estudo retrospectivo avaliou a participação de docentes do Curso de Odontologia da Universida de Estadual de Montes Claros, Unimontes, em atividades de pesquisa e extensão nos anos de 2005 e 2006. Os dados foram coletados a partir de documentos gerados pela Diretoria de Recursos Humanos da Unimontes. A análise estatística descritiva e o teste de Likelihood Ratio (p<0,05) foram realizados no programa SPSSri11.0. Participaram 21 docentes, sendo a maioria (61,5 por cento) do gênero feminino, distribuídos nas áreas de Clínicas Integradas (5), Endodontia (3), Estomatologia/Patologia Bucal (3), Odontopediatria (2), Periodontia(2), Prótese (2) e Saúde Coletiva (4). No tocante à atuação simultânea em pesquisa e extensão, nos anos de 2005 e 2006, foi observada participação docente de 33 por cento e 47 por cento respectivamente, sem diferenças significativas (p>0,05) entre os anos. Os professores das disciplinas de Odontopediatria (100 por cento), Saúde Coletiva (75 por cento), Clínicas Integradas (60 por cento) e Endodontia (33 por cento) realizaram ações conjuntas de pesquisa e extensão. Já os docentes de Periodontia, Estomatologia/Patologia Bucal e Prótese não participaram simultaneamente de atividades de pesquisa e extensão, no entanto, todos os professores de Estomatologia/Patologia Bucal atuaram em pesquisa. Foram encontradas diferenças significativas (p<0,05) quando comparadas as disciplinas de atuação dos docentes e práticas de pesquisa e/ou extensão. Concluiu-se que importante parcela do grupo avaliado desempenhou atividades de pesquisa e/ou extensão, mas a prática das ações mencionadas pode ser incrementada.

[Female presence in teaching of dentistry and medicine carrers at the National University of Cordoba]. / Presencia femenina en la docencia de las carreras de odontología y medicina--Universidad Nacional de Cordoba.

Social stratification based on gender has undoubtedly a powerful bearing on the division of labor in the area of health. The presence of women has reached significant levels in the Teaching Departments at almost every Institution of Higher Education, although it has been observed that the higher the position, the fewer the women occupying such positions. The purpose of this work is to analyze the evolution of admission and leaving of men and women students as well as the distribution of teaching positions according to sex at the School of Dentistry and at Medical School of the National University of Cordoba. In addition, this study aims at visualizing both the feminine role and the existence of posts in the field of education which are traditionally staffed by women, and also the factors contributing to define these positions. An analysis of the female participation in university education shows that in those programs of study where there is a predominance of female students, the proportion of women teachers is lower. It has also been noticed that the proportion of women working as teaching assistants is higher than that of women occupying leading positions in the management of the Schools. By the year 2003, at the University of Cordoba, 43% of the teachers and 58% of the students enrolled were women. At the School of Dentistry there is a higher percentage (10%) of female teachers, while at the School of Medicine the male teaching staff is 19.3% higher. These data allows us to infer that most probably, the differences observed in our analysis are the result of a held belief that considers that Medicine belongs to men's domain and consequently, women medical doctors find it difficult to gain prestige and reach high-level, well paid positions.

Evaluación de los posgrados de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de Antioquia entre 1982 - 1995 (desempeño y grado de satisfacción) / Evaluation of postgraduate studies of the School of Dentistry, University of Antioquia, between 1982 - 1995 (performance and degree of satisfaction)

En la investigación "Evaluación de los posgrados de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de Antioquia entre 1982 y 1995", en la cual participó el 83 por ciento de los egresados, con respecto al desempeño y grado de satisfacción, se encontró que una vez egresados, su desempeño laboral está estrechamente relacionado con dos de los objetivos propuestos para su formación de posgrado, el clínico y el docente, y en el área clínica prima la modalidad privada. El grado de satisfacción con respecto a la formación recibia estuvo entre el 81 y el 95 por ciento, satisfacción que está estrechamente relacionada con sus expectativas en la formación clínica. Con respecto al título, se encontró que existen problemas en su reconocimiento de parte de las asociaciones gremiales, y de algunas instituciones empleadoras. En la entrevista a los mayores empleadores en la ciudad de Medellín, se informó que no existen diferentes entre los egresados de la Universidad de Antioquia y los egresados de otras entidades educativas