Abstract

TOLEDO PIMENTEL, Bárbara Francisca et al. The use of oral self-examination as an educational activity in Dentistry students. Rev EDUMECENTRO [online]. 2014, vol.6, suppl.1, pp. 35-45. ISSN 2077-2874.

Background: oral cancer prevention is a matter of required knowledge for Dentistry students. Objective: to identify the level of training of Dentistry students on the performance of oral self-examination as an educational activity in the community. Methods: a descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, was conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry of the Medical University in Villa Clara, during the academic year 2013-2014. The population consisted of 179 fifth-year Dentistry students. The theoretical methods used included the analytic-synthetic, inductive-deductive and the historical-logical methods. The empirical methods included a documentary analysis (Curricula C and D of Dentistry undergraduate studies) and a survey in the form of a questionnaire, aimed at students. Results: it was found that the content relating to oral self-examination is limited to the first year of study, and then is not integrated into other subjects. Students do not use, with due frequency, the oral self-examination as an educational activity; however, most of them know how to do it. Conclusions: the results about the educational work carried out by students with the teaching the oral self-examination for the prevention of oral cancer demand a careful analysis, by teachers and education officials, on the management and control of this activity as part of daily actions of would-be dentists, in performing health promotion actions and disease prevention in the community.

Keywords : education, dental; self-examination; mouth neoplasms [diagnosis].

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