Community-based dental education in Iranian dental schools.

BACKGROUND: Community-based dental education (CBDE) has been an essential advancement in dental education in recent decades, enhancing it in many aspects. This study aimed to determine the characteristics and improvements of CBDE in dental schools in Iran. METHODS: In the present descriptive study, an electronic questionnaire, including 18 "yes/no", "multiple choice", and "short answer" questions about the nature and extent of CBDE and students' experience in CBDE, was used. In early 2021, the questionnaires were mailed to the deans of all 43 dental schools in Iran under the supervision of the Council for Dental Education of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education. Reminder calls were made after 6 and 12 weeks. Dental schools that did not follow the CBDE program were excluded. The responses were analyzed descriptively. RESULTS: Thirty-six dental schools completed the questionnaire (response rate: 84%). Seventeen schools (47%) reported having CBDE in their dental program. Sites lacking a well-equipped dental setting were the most used out of all extramural sites. The number of weeks dedicated to CBDE ranged between 1 and 20 (median: 4). The most common dental procedures practiced in extramural sites were pediatric dentistry (100%), restorative dentistry (71%), and dental examination (59%). The student-to-supervisor ratio in CBDE ranged between 3 and 15 (median: 5). In most schools (65%), the staff involved in directing CBDE were Community Oral Health PhDs. CONCLUSIONS: An increasing number of Iranian dental schools have integrated CBDE into their undergraduate dental curriculum. The characteristics and extent of this educational strategy vary widely among dental schools. CBDE can be more effective by making positive changes in dental programs.

Dental core training in community dental services.

Community dental services (CDS) provide dental treatment for patients who cannot gain access or have treatment with their general dental practitioner. This includes groups of patients who are dentally phobic, medically compromised, or with physical or learning disabilities.This paper provides insight into the experience and the challenges of working in CDS as a dental core trainee (DCT). The post involves an equal split in the management of paediatric and special care dental patients.Patients seen in CDS can be split into cohorts such as paediatric, special care adults, dental anxious and others. Case discussions throughout the paper will illustrate commonly seen scenarios and exemplify patient management pathways though the service.NHS England Education provide training for DCTs through study days which focus on dental disciplines specific to their post.

An ethnographic study of a community dentistry network serving Latine migrant farmworkers in Vermont: Barriers and access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Primary dental healthcare services are not accessible for a majority of Latino/a/e migrant farmworkers in the United States. Unmet dental health needs are well documented in larger states like California, Florida and New York, but the dental healthcare picture in smaller states is not well understood. The goal of this qualitative ethnographic study was to understand the delivery model of a free dentistry network serving Latine farmworkers in rural Vermont and specific barriers experienced at the network during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Semi-structured ethnographic interviews were carried out with clinicians and transcripts were analysed using the constant comparison method to identify salient concerns and recommendations about barriers and delivery of care. RESULTS: Clinicians highlighted structural issues including farmworkers' lack of time off work and absence of transportation to attend appointments, concerns about COVID-19 safety, concerns about immigration surveillance and language barriers. Providers outlined steps for improved service delivery including mobile care at local farms, enhanced intercultural training for providers, recognizing dentistry as essential healthcare at the state level and the leverage of existing appointments for preventive health. Drawing on anthropological frameworks of place-based care and deservingness of healthcare, our ethnographic findings emphasize the role of community dentistry in bridging gaps in migrant healthcare during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Application and evolution of design in oral health: A systematic mapping study with an interactive evidence map.

OBJECTIVES: There is increasing recognition of the value and capabilities of design in healthcare. Beyond the development of medical devices, design is increasingly being applied to intangible, complex and systemic healthcare problems. However, there is limited evidence on the use of design specifically in the field of oral health. This systematic mapping study aims to collate and catalogue evidence of design in oral health. METHODS: A systematic search of academic databases and grey literature was performed. Duplicate results were removed, and publications relating to the same project were grouped. Reviewers from design and oral health independently screened a sample of the dataset. Projects of both relevance to oral health, and with input from a designer or clear implementation of a design methodology or approach were included. Projects were coded and plotted on a novel interactive evidence map. RESULTS: 119 design and oral health projects were included between 1973 and 2022. Interventional (n = 94, 79%), empirical (n = 46, 39%), methodological (n = 35, 29%) and theoretical (n = 7, 6%) design contributions were identified across the projects. The projects were categorized by four orders of design: first-graphics (n = 6, 5%), second-products (n = 41, 34%), third-interactions (n = 70, 59%), and fourth-systems (n = 2, 2%). Design was found in a diverse range of contexts in oral health; most commonly being relevant to general patients (n = 61, 51%), and for use in general dental practice (n = 56, 47%). Further design outcome categories (digital material; printed material; object; room or space; apparel; process; smart device; tangible interface; graphical interface; virtual reality; service; policy; system) and oral health themes (oral health literacy; oral care training; dental clinic design; dental instruments and equipment; personal oral care; dental appliance; clinician health and productivity; clinical information systems; informed consent; oral health promotion and prevention; oral care training; patient interactions and experience) were identified. CONCLUSIONS: The novel interactive evidence map of design in oral health created enables ongoing and open-ended multivariant documentation and analysis of the evidence, as well as identification of strategic opportunities. Future research and policy implications include; recognition and engagement with the full capabilities of design; integration of design experts; fostering inclusive engagement and collaboration; disentangling patient and public involvement; advancing human-centred systems approaches; adopting design-led approaches for policy-making.

A bibliometric analysis of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology: Fifty years of publications.

OBJECTIVES: In celebration of the journal's 50th anniversary, the aim of the study was to review the whole collection of Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (CDOE) publications from 1973 to 2022 and provide a complete overview of the main publication characteristics. METHODS: The study used bibliometric techniques such as performance and science mapping analysis of 3428 articles extracted from the Scopus database. The data were analysed using the 'Bibliometrix' package in R. The journal's scientific production was examined, along with the yearly citation count, the distribution of publications based on authors, the corresponding author's country and affiliation and citation count, citing source and keywords. Bibliometric network maps were constructed to determine the conceptual, intellectual and social collaborative structure over the past 50 years. The trending research topics and themes were identified. RESULTS: The total number of articles and average citations has increased over the years. D Locker, AJ Spencer, A Sheiham and WM Thomson were the most frequently published authors, and PE Petersen, GD Slade and AI Ismail published papers with the highest citations. The most published countries were the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil and Canada, frequently engaging in collaborative efforts. The most common keywords used were 'dental caries', 'oral epidemiology' and 'oral health'. The trending topics were healthcare and health disparities, social determinants of health, systematic review and health inequalities. Epidemiology, oral health and disparities were highly researched areas. CONCLUSION: This bibliometric study reviews CDOE's significant contribution to dental public health by identifying key research trends, themes, influential authors and collaborations. The findings provide insights into the need to increase publications from developing countries, improve gender diversity in authorship and broaden the scope of research themes.

The British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, its journal, Community Dental Health, and the origins of dental public health: a 50-year celebration.

This paper examines the founding and development of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, 36 years after establishment of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry, and its achievements over 50 years. Especially important are its major role in national and other epidemiological surveys, establishment of NHS dental public health specialist and consultant posts, and its journal, Community Dental Health.

BASCD at 50.

The British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry (BASCD) is marking its 50th anniversary in 2023. The author of this article has been a member of BASCD for those 50 years, including a number as a member of the Council, and offers his personal reflections on some of the range of activities of the Association.

APPLICABILITY of DENTAL PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES in LOW RESOURCE SETTINGS -A CALL to BRIDGE the GAP in CLINICAL and COMMUNITY DENTISTRY.

Low resource settings (LRSs) are typically regions where inadequate healthcare resources exist and the healthcare system does not meet the acceptable global standards. The problems encountered in LRS in oral and dental medicine could be related to lack of human personnel, e.g., insufficient numbers of dentists and other dental professionals, poor infrastructure, limited or remote treatment/care facilities, lack of dental materials and supplies as well as inadequate monitoring and evaluation of public health programs. Despite the limited human resources in LRS, such settings are currently experiencing a brain drain, a situation where there is massive emigration of highly trained and qualified healthcare professionals including dentists to other countries for better living conditions. To allocate health resources judiciously, exploration of alternatives to traditional oral health assessments, which are cheap, easily available, and patient-oriented, becomes pertinent. Thus, there is a need to consider the applicability of oral assessment tools such as dental patient-reported outcomes (dPROs) in general, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in particular. Therefore, the aim of this narrative review was to describe opportunities for the applicability of dPROs in LRSs with a focus on Nigeria, based on empirical data. The applicability of dPROs and OHRQoL in LRS includes prevention, screening, diagnosis, assessment of oral health impact, application of the first step of targeted treatment, treatment evaluation, planning, and monitoring of public health programs, as well as research needs. dPROs could be very useful in LRS because their practical advantages may be utilized to improve patient and population health.

"The pediatric dentist is different": A qualitative study of young children's caregivers' experiences of oral health care in the Galapagos Islands.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about factors influencing children's access to and use of oral healthcare services in the Galapagos Islands, a resource-limited setting. AIM: We sought to understand caregivers' experiences and factors influencing their children's use of dental services on San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos Archipelago. DESIGN: A community-based qualitative interview study was carried out among 25 caregivers of children aged 6 months to 10 years. Participants were recruited via a random walk door-to-door approach in 10 neighborhoods, and interviews were conducted by a trained research assistant who is native of the Galapagos Islands. We employed a grounded theory-based qualitative data analysis based on inductive coding to identify and report major emerging themes and illustrative participant quotes. RESULTS: Two major themes emerged related to children's oral health care. Participants expressed their preference for care provided by paediatric versus general dentists and recognized the important role of school-based dental care programs, acknowledging their strengths and weaknesses. CONCLUSIONS: Participants' lived experiences were informative and helped improve our understanding of factors influencing children's use of dental services in the Galapagos Islands. Above and beyond their local relevance, these themes and insights are likely applicable to other global communities that experience similar barriers of access to oral healthcare services.

Experiencia educativa de una estructura didáctica en la carrera de Estomatología para visitas domiciliarias / Educational experience of a didactic structure in the Dentistry career to visit the family

Fundamento: en el entorno educativo las investigaciones relacionadas con los modos de actuación de los estudiantes adquieren especial significación. Los estudiantes de cuarto año de la carrera de Estomatología del escenario docente del policlínico "Docente de Playa" de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas "Victoria de Girón" necesitan formarse del modo más cercano posible a los modos de actuación del futuro egresado, al tener en consideración problemas teóricos y metodológicos objetos de la profesión. Objetivo: describir una experiencia educativa sobre la aplicación de una estructura didáctica para el desarrollo de la visita a la familia como modalidad de la educación en el trabajo con estudiantes de cuarto año de Estomatología. Métodos: la investigación se desarrolló durante los cursos comprendidos entre el año 2014 al 2019. Se utilizaron métodos del nivel teórico, empírico y estadístico. La estructura didáctica centrada en el desarrollo de la visita a la familia consta de cuatro etapas con los correspondientes objetivos y acciones. Resultados: se reconoce la educación en el trabajo como forma fundamental de organización de la enseñanza para la carrera de Estomatología y la visita a la familia como una de las modalidades, lo cual constituye una pauta a seguir en la estructura didáctica propuesta. Conclusiones: el análisis y valoración de los resultados obtenidos luego de la aplicación, permitió constatar cambios significativos y transformaciones cualitativas a partir de la estructura didáctica, lo cual constituye una alternativa para el mejoramiento de los modos de actuación de los estudiantes de cuarto año de la carrera de Estomatología.

Background: in the educational environment, research related to students' modes of action acquire special meaning. The fourth-year students of the Dentistry degree in the teaching setting of the Victoria de Girón "teachin polyclinic of the ""Playa Faculty of Medical Sciences need to be trained as closely as possible to the modes of action of the future graduate, by taking into consideration theoretical and methodological problems objects of the profession. Objective: to describe an educational experience on the application of a didactic structure for the development of family visits as a modality of the in-service training with fourth-year dentistry students. Methods: the research was developed during the courses from 2014 to 2019. Theoretical, empirical and statistical methods were used. The didactic structure focused on the development of the visit to the family consists of four stages with the corresponding objectives and actions. Results: education at work is recognized as a fundamental way of organizing teaching for the Dentistry career and visiting the family as one of the modalities, which constitutes a guideline to follow in the proposed didactic structure. Conclusions: the analysis and assessment of the results obtained after the application allowed us to verify significant changes and qualitative transformations from the didactic structure, which constitutes an alternative for the improvement of the modes of action of the fourth year students of the Dentistry career.

eHealth, teledentistry and health workforce challenges: results of a pilot project.

BACKGROUND: In the twenty-first century, health systems have to cope with the challenges posed by their rapidly changing environment. Among these changes, the emergence of digital health solutions is an opportunity to make health systems better, but also a compelling force to change. Community dentistry is one area of health care, where the rapid technological development has the potential for substantial performance improvement benefitting dental patients in terms of access to care and conveniance. METHODS: This study is based on a survey of the dental care provided by three units (Oral Medicine, Periodontology, Orthodontics) of the Department of Community Dentistry, Semmelweis University, Budapest. During a period of 12 weeks, we have collected time balance data on 1131 patients, 539 in the traditional and 592 in a pilot teledentistry setting, in order to estimate how much time could be spared by monitoring patients through videoconferencing instead of face-to-face visits. RESULTS: According to our findings, teledentistry has the potential to shorten the visit with an average of 5-10 min per patient, which adds up to 58-116 work hours in a year. If the pilot was rolled out to all the 13 chairs of the surveyed 3 specialties (orthodontics, periodontology and oral medicine) the time saving would sum up to 186 workdays in one shift alone, which would translate to close to 4500 additional patients per year, considering remote patient monitoring cases alone. Further, if inactive doctors and highly qualified dental hygienists were involved in delivering telecare, 2.67 times as many workdays could be spared, which would allow about 12,000 more patients treated per year. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid development of digital health technologies coupled with the evolving task distribution between health professionals have a great potential to improve health system performance in pursuit of population health. Unfortunately, the adaptation to these technological changes is uneven, and without a national strategy, the poor will unlikely benefit from these opportunities in public dental care.

Financial assessment of the community-based dental education program at the Indiana University School of Dentistry.

BACKGROUND: There is a gap in access to oral health services for millions of Americans residing in health professional shortage areas. The community-based dental education program at the Indiana University School of Dentistry is an innovative model that aims to improve access to oral health services in rural underserved Indiana. OBJECTIVE: With this study, our goal was to assess the financial implications of the program over a period of 3 years (2018-2021). METHODS: Proxy estimates for the revenue generated by students at the community clinic sites were calculated and compared against the implementation costs of the program as well as revenue lost by the school during the rotation period. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the quantitative impact of the program over the 3 years. RESULTS: The total of 7460 patients who were offered care as part of this program were mostly from the uninsured group or were covered under Medicaid. According to our cost-benefit analysis which was conducted during the peak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the total revenue of $1,777,097 was generated by students at the community sites through the 3-year period. The revenue generated was still more than the dollar amount invested in running the program, given the timeline of the study was when elective services were mostly suspended. CONCLUDE: We conclude community programs like these have an impact beyond the dollar value; they can be modeled to be cost-effective, improve access to oral health services for millions of Americans in underserved settings and at the same time provide a great learning experience for dental students.

Comparación del desempeño técnico-asistencial en programas escolares con diferentes modalidades de implementación / Comparison of technical-assisstance performance in school programs with different implementation modalities

Se comparó el desempeño técnico-asistencial de 2 programas de atención odontológica con iguales protocolos de atención y diferente modalidad de implementación. Ambos programas se caracterizaron por un perfil preventivo-promocional; uso de protocolos validados según riesgo biológico, atención odontológica adaptada a sedes no convencionales, recursos asignados por método de necesidades; ejecución por recurso humano pre-profesional supervisado y modulación por altas. La modalidad de implementación difirió en la densidad/concentración de las actividades realizadas: en el Programa Extensivo (PE) las acciones se implementaron con frecuencia semanal; en el Programa Intensivo (PI) las acciones se concentraron en una semana en el año. Cobertura anual: PE = 120 escolares de 6 a 9 años de edad; PI = 180 escolares y preescolares de 3 a 12 años de edad. Se midió la cantidad de prestaciones, sesiones y tiempo -en minutos- hasta alcanzar el Alta Básica Operativa (ABO). Para comparar grupos (PI y PE) se utilizaron los tests: U de Mann Whitney, t de Student para mues-tras independientes, chi cuadrado y comparación de proporciones. La razón de prestaciones/sesión fue significativamente mayor (p=0,000) en el programa intensivo. El número de prestaciones hasta el alta (ABO) y la razón tiempo/sesión no mostraron diferencias entre programas (p=0,8 p=0,087), mientras que se evidenció una mayor razón tiempo/prestación y tiempo en alcanzar el alta (ABO) en la modalidad extensiva (p=0,000). La modalidad intensiva mostró mayor eficiencia en el desempeño técnico asistencial que la extensiva (AU)

Aim: To compare technical-care performance of 2 dental care programs with the same care protocols and different implementation modalities. Both programs shared the following features: preventive-promotional profile; use of validated clinical protocols according to biological risk, dental care adapted to non-conventional settings, allocation of resources by needs method; supervised pre-professional human resource and modulation by discharges. The implementation mode differed in the density/concentration of the activities: in the extensive program (EP) the actions were implemented on a weekly basis along the year; in the intensive program (IP) the actions were concentrated in one week in the year. Annual coverage of the programs: 180 schoolchildren and preschoolers (3 -12 years old); EP = 120 schoolchildren (6 - 9 years old). We measured the following variables: the number of dental services performed, the number of sessions and the time, in minutes, to reach the basic operating discharge (BOD). We used the following tests to compare groups (IP and EP): Mann Whitney U; Student's t for independent samples, chi square and comparison of proportions test. The action per session ratio was significantly higher (p=0.000) in the intensive program. The number of actions performed until discharge (BOD) and the time per session ratio did not show differences between programs (p=0.8 p=0.087). In the extensive mode, compared to intensive mode, it took longer to reach discharge (BOD) (p=0.000) The program implemented with intensive modality (PI) showed greater efficiency regarding technical-care performance when compared to the extensive mode (AU)

Utilización de servicios de salud por la población de cuatro consultorios del médico de la familia / Use of health services by the population of four family doctor's offices

Introducción: La utilización de los servicios de salud es un proceso social, dinámico y complejo. Objetivo: Describir la utilización de los servicios de salud por la población de cuatro consultorios del médico y la enfermera de la familia. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal entre los meses de enero de 2019 a enero de 2020. Se aplicó una encuesta a 775 personas de 18 años y más. Los datos se procesaron con el paquete estadístico SPSS versión 20.0 para Windows. Se utilizaron estadísticas descriptivas, expresando los resultados en tablas de distribución de frecuencias. Resultados: El rango de edades de mayor representatividad fue el de 70-74. El sexo femenino representó el 10,2 por ciento (46) y el masculino el 12,7 por ciento (41). En relación con la iniciativa para solicitar actividades de promoción y prevención, las más solicitadas fueron toma de tensión arterial, chequeo médico y peso corporal. La solicitud habitual de receta médica (706; 87,3 por ciento) se realiza al médico del consultorio. El lugar a donde se dirige el paciente, fundamentalmente, en caso de necesitar atención médica no urgente es al consultorio médico de la familia (650; 83,9 por ciento). Los lugares a donde se dirige, esencialmente, en caso de necesitar atención médica urgente son al cuerpo de guardia del hospital (520; 67,5 por ciento) y al cuerpo de guardia del policlínico (208; 27,0 por ciento). Conclusiones: La población de los cuatro consultorios estudiados utiliza los servicios en los diferentes niveles según el problema de salud que necesita resolver. Sería importante poder identificar en otras investigaciones por qué las actividades menos solicitadas son el tacto rectal, el antígeno prostático y el examen físico de mama, en aras de trazar estrategias que permitan incrementar el empoderamiento para la salud individual(AU)

Introduction: The use of health services is a social, dynamic and complex process. Objective: Describe the use of health services by the population of four family doctor and nurse's offices. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out from January 2019 to January 2020. A survey was applied to 775 people of 18 years and older. The data was processed using the SPSS statistical package version 20.0 for Windows. Descriptive statistics were used, expressing the results in frequency distribution tables. Results: The age range of greatest representativeness was 70-74. The female sex represented 10.2percent (46) and the male sex was 12.7percent (41). In relation to the initiative to request promotion and prevention activities, the most requested were blood pressure testing, medical check-up and body weight. The usual request of prescriptions (706; 87.3percent) is made to the doctor in the office. The place where the patient goes, fundamentally, in case of needing non-urgent medical attention is to the family doctor's office (650; 83.9percent). The places where the patient goes, essentially, in case of needing urgent medical attention are the emergeny service in the hospital (520; 67.5percent) and the emergency service of the polyclinic (208; 27.0percent). Conclusions: The population of the four family doctor's office studied uses the services at different levels according to the health problem they need to solve. It would be important to be able to identify in other research why the least requested activities are digital rectal examination, prostate antigen and breast physical examination, in order to draw strategies that allow increasing empowerment for individual health(AU)

A extensão universitária na formação do cirurgião-dentista / Importance of university extension in the professional training of dentalsurgeons

As universidades têmse transformado ao longo dos tempos. O foco principal no ensino foi sendo ampliado com ações de pesquisa e de extensão. Esta vem ganhando cada vez mais espaço nas instituições de ensino superior, fazendo parteda tríade que sustenta a formação universitária. O objetivo desta revisão de literatura foi mostrar a importância da extensão universitária na formação profissional de cirurgiões-dentistas e para a sociedade. A estratégia de busca de artigos se deu por palavras-chave relacionadas à Odontologia e à extensão universitária em bases de dados eletrônicas, no período de agosto a outubro de 2019. A prática da extensão,em comunidades diversas, fortalece a compreensão dos estudantes quanto ao processo saúde-doença, permite conhecer arealidade econômica e social em diferentes cenários, permite vivenciar a rede deserviços públicos de saúde, assim comoparticipar da prestação de serviços à população, tornando-osmais humanizadose capacitados a promover a saúde da comunidade em que estão inseridos. A extensão universitária tem um importante papel na formação profissional do cirurgião-dentista, colaborando para que atue deforma competente para contemplar as diversas necessidades da população, estimulando ações de promoção de saúde e informação à população emgeral, que também se torna beneficiada com estas ações, e fortalecendo o compromisso da universidade com a sociedade (AU).

Universities have transformed over time. The main focus of teachingstarted to expandwith research and extension activities. Extensioncourseshavebeen increasingly introducedin higher education institutions, participating inthe triad that sustains university education. Thisliterature review aimed to show the importance of university extension in the professional training of dental surgeons and society. The strategy for searching articles was based on keywords related to dentistry and university extension,in electronic databases, from August to October 2019. In different communities, the practice of extension strengthens the understanding of students about the health-disease processandallows knowing the economic and social realitiesof different scenarios, experiencing the public health care network, and participating in the provision of services to the population, which makesstudents more humanized and able to promote health to theircommunities. University extension plays an important role in the professional training of dental surgeons, helping them to workcompetently assisting in the diverse needs of the population, stimulating health promotion and information tothe general population who also benefitsfrom these activities, andstrengthening the commitmentof the universityto society (AU).

Construção de competências colaborativas para o trabalho em saúde nos estágios curriculares de Odontologia no SUS / Construction of collaborative skills for health work in curricular internships in Dentistry in SUS

Com a implementação do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), foram necessárias mudanças curriculares que preparassem os profissionais para atuar em equipe na rede de saúde. No início do século XXI passaram a ser implementadas as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais (DCN) que trouxeram várias mudanças, dentre as quais destaca-se a inserção do estudante de graduação no SUS. O objetivo desse estudo é analisar as percepções dos egressos do curso de graduação em Odontologiadiurnode uma universidade pública do Rio Grande do Sul, acerca da construção de competências colaborativas, durante a formação nos Estágios Curriculares Supervisionados (ECS)no SUS. Trata-se de um estudo de natureza descritiva com análise de dados qualitativos e quantitativos. Inicialmente, 133egressos, que vivenciaram os ECS entre 2012/1 a2016/1, responderam a um questionário online com questões abertas e fechadas. Com uma amostra intencional de 14 egressos,que responderam ao questionário,foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas em profundidade. O material quantitativo foi submetidoà análise descritiva e o material qualitativo àanálise de conteúdo temática. Considerando que os dados quantitativos e qualitativos são complementares, eles foram submetidos a triangulaçãoe os resultados são apresentados em duas unidades de análise: Caracterização,inserção e escolhas profissionais dos egressos e Construção de competências colaborativas. A maioria dos egressos participantes (67,7%) são do sexo feminino e estão atuando em Porto Alegre ou região metropolitana (78,6%), 29,1% deles estão vinculados a serviços públicos de saúde. A satisfaçãocom os ECSé destacada pelos egressos, que os descrevemcomoindispensáveispara sua formação. Dentre as competências colaborativas construídas por meio dos estágios, o aprendizado de trabalhar em equipeinterprofissional é destacado pela maioria dos egressos (85,3%), sendolembrada comofundamental paraa atenção integral do usuário. Conclui-se que o curso de Odontologia tem obtido sucesso na formação de profissionais voltados para atuação no SUS, tendo um percentual considerável de egressos vinculados aos serviços públicos de saúde (AU).

With the establishment of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), curricular changes were necessary to prepare the professionals for teamwork in the healthcarenetwork. In the early 21stcentury, the National CurricularGuidelines (DCN) were implementedand brought several changes, mainly the insertion of undergraduate students in SUS. This study analyzedthe perceptions of graduates of the daytime Dentistry course from a public university in Rio Grande do Sul about the construction of collaborative skills during training in the Supervised Curricular Internships (ECS) in SUS. This descriptive study analyzed qualitative and quantitative data. Initially, 133 graduates who experienced the ECS between 2012/1 to 2016/1 answered an online questionnaire with open and closed questions. Deeper semi-structured interviews were conductedon an intentional sample of 14 graduates who answered the questionnaire. The quantitative material was submitted to descriptive analysis and the qualitative material to thematic content analysis. Considering that quantitative and qualitative data are complementary, they were submitted to triangulation and the results are presented in two units of analysis: Characterization, insertion and professional choices of graduates;and Construction of collaborative skills. Most participating graduates (67.7%) are femalesand are working in Porto Alegre or metropolitan area (78.6%), being 29.1% inserted in public health services. The satisfaction with the ECS is highlighted by the graduates, who describe them as fundamental for their training. Among the collaborative skills built during internships, learning how to work in an interprofessional team was highlighted by most graduates (85.3%), being remembered as fundamental for the integral care to the user. It is concluded that the Dentistry course has been successful in the training of professionals to workin SUS, with a considerable percentage of graduates inserted in public health services (AU).

Community dental health coordinators' role in community-based pediatric dental education.

PURPOSE: The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry utilized a Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) to transform a community-based dental education rotation into a positive learning experience for senior dental students. Based in a county health department's Women, Infant, and Children's (WIC) clinic and dental clinic, the initial rotation before implementation of the CDHC was received poorly by students and community partners. This paper reports how CDHC involvement improved student experiences with pediatric patients. METHODS: In 2018, the CDHC embedded in the WIC clinic where student rotations occur and developed relationships with the community partners to identify key issues. The CDHC then implemented qualitative improvements, including a restructured workflow, preparatory educational modules, and assessment systems to address the issues. Student performance reports, focus group discussions, and a postgraduation questionnaire provided data for evaluation of performance. RESULTS: By year 3, dental appointments for patients under age 6 increased, resulting in 95% of UAB students seeing this age patient; 74% completed four or more. Three-quarters of students reported performing restorative procedures on children. Student and community partner acceptance of the rotation also improved. Postgraduation questionnaires (32% response rate) indicate 35% of graduates continue to treat Medicaid patients after graduation. CONCLUSION: The CDHC's unique skills in community relationship-building, community-based dental screenings, and pediatric dental care coordination produced measurable improvements in community participation and student clinical experiences. The CDHC can be a vital part of dental education, especially in community education settings. Community-based dental education generated measurable improvements in students' clinical experiences.

Interprofissionalismo na Estratégia Saúde da Família: um olhar sobre as ações de promoção de saúde bucal / Interprofessionalism in the Family Health Strategy: a look on the actions of promotion of oral health

Resumo O trabalho interprofissional é necessário para a consolidação do modelo de atenção à saúde, porém o cirurgião-dentista encontra muitos desafios para trabalhar em equipe. Este estudo objetivou conhecer o interprofissionalismo, no âmbito da saúde bucal, entre os trabalhadores graduados da Estratégia Saúde da Família. Tratou-se de um estudo exploratório e transversal, com abordagem qualitativa, desenvolvido com 39 profissionais graduados da Atenção Básica do município de Icó, Ceará, Brasil. Os sujeitos pesquisados declararam uma deficiência na manutenção técnica nas unidades, a recorrente falta de insumos e a demanda excessiva de usuários como elementos que prejudicam o trabalho em equipe, assim como a inexistência de um plano de cargos, carreiras e salários, sendo um motivo de descontentamento entre os profissionais. Todos consideraram importante o trabalho interprofissional e sugeriram reuniões periódicas, atividades compartilhadas mais frequentes e capacitações como forma de intensificar essa ação. Apesar de o trabalho interprofissional ser reconhecido como fundamental para as ações de cuidado, é necessário mais comprometimento e apoio da gestão.

Abstract Interprofessional work is necessary for the consolidation of this healthcare model; however, the dental surgeon meet many challenges while working in a team. The objective of this study was to get to know interprofessionalism in the oral health field among the graduated workers of the Family Health Strategy. It was an exploratory and cross-sectional study, with qualitative approach, developed with 39 primary care graduated professionals from the municipality of Icó, state of Ceará, Brazil. The individuals surveyed declared a deficiency in the technical maintenance in the units, the recurring lack of inputs and excessive demand from users as elements that hinder teamwork, as well as the lack of a position, career and salary plan are a reason for discontent among the professionals. All of the participants considered interprofessional work important and suggested periodic meetings, more frequent shared activities and training as a way to intensify this action. Although interprofessional work is recognized as fundamental to care actions, more commitment and management support is needed.