Resumo

FONSECA, Graciela Soares  e  RODRIGUES, Ana Áurea Alécio de Oliveira. The Education Program through Health Work as an inducer of pedagogical innovations: the Dentistry Course experience at the State University of Feira de Santana, Bahia. Rev. ABENO [online]. 2011, vol.11, n.2, pp. 19-26. ISSN 1679-5954.

The development of dental practices and the new concepts regarding the effectiveness of oral healthcare require professionals to be critical, able to work in teams and able to assimilate the social reality. What is proposed is to train dentists with a generalist profile, with solid technical and scientific skills, who are humanistic and ethical, and also focused on promoting health. With this in mind, changes are being implemented in higher education, seeking integration with health services and the community, in order to promote the teaching-learning process. In this context, the Education Program through Health Work is considered a strong inducer of pedagogical innovation. This paper describes the experience of the State University of Feira de Santana, Bahia, highlighting the changes made in the dentistry course, in order to provide input for supporting the implementation and improvement of the program in other parts of the country. It could be observed that significant results were achieved by incorporating the Education Program through Health Work, showing its transformational potential, which promotes its consolidation and expansion.

Palavras-chave : Higher education; Health services; Dentistry.