Resumo

SANTOS, Karina Tonini dos; PACHECO FILHO, Antonio Carlos  e  GARBIN, Cléa Adas Saliba. Perception of oral health education by dental students. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2012, vol.48, n.2, pp. 96-101. ISSN 1516-0939.

Aim: To analyze dental students' view concerning Oral Health Education. Materials and Methods: The present research, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, addresses aspects related to dental students' understanding of Oral Health Education, the value that they attach to this practice in the school environment, as well as the importance of their participation in these and other activities during their studies in dentistry. Results: Although dental students recognize the importance of Oral Health Education in the school environment,as well as the importance of their own participation within these activities, their perception of "Oral Health Education" is reductionist and focused primarily on the disease. Conclusion: It is well-known that these findings are reflections and consequences of an established context within a university education. It is therefore necessary that these professional educators perform an in-depth rethinking of the dental practice, in an attempt to develop methodologies based on Health Education in their own teaching practices.

Palavras-chave : Health education; Dentistry; Oral health; Dental students.