Abstract

DAROZ, Cláudia Batitucci dos Santos et al. Evaluation of previous and acquired knowledge about dental caries from undergraduate dentistry students from the Federal University of Espirito Santo - UFES. Arq. Odontol. [online]. 2016, vol.52, n.1, pp. 13-31. ISSN 1516-0939.

Aim: To evaluate the knowledge about dental caries that had been acquired both previously and during the undergraduate Dentistry course at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES). Methods: This exploratory study was conducted with a sample group (n = 121) of undergraduate Dentistry students from the first to eighth semesters. A questionnaire about the knowledge of dental caries acquired before and during the Dentistry course was applied to the students. Data was analyzed by descriptive (absolute and relative frequencies) and analytical (chi-square test and McNemar test; p < 0.05) statistics. Results: It was observed that 52.9% of the students had learned about the concept of caries in elementary school, while 31.4% reported having learned about the concept during middle school. A large percentage of the students (38.8%) responded that they had acquired most of their knowledge about dental caries during Dental School, while 28.1% and 13.2% stated that it was from their home/family and private dentist, respectively. For 90.1% of the students, their knowledge about dental caries is used on a daily basis, and 95% reported that this knowledge improved their oral health. A significant difference was observed in the responses from first-year students (first period) when compared to the students from the middle (fourth period) and final (eighth period) years of the course as regards the consequences of dental caries and the need for restoration (chi-square, p < 0.05). However, no statistical difference was observed between fourth and eighth periods. Comparing the overall knowledge about dental caries before and during dental school, a significant improvement was observed only after the fourth period (McNemar test, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Relevant knowledge about dental caries was mostly acquired by the students during dental school, especially after the fourth period. Relevance from the collected data and improvement of oral self-care were also observed.

Keywords : Dental caries.; Health education dental.; Self care..