Resumo

NOBREGA, Johnys Berton Medeiros da et al. Dental undergraduate students' perceptions regarding the practical activity of age estimation made in a course of Forensic Dentistry. Rev. ABENO [online]. 2016, vol.16, n.2, pp. 83-92. ISSN 1679-5954.

This study aimed to identify the facilities and difficulties experienced by students in a practical activity of age estimation proposed by the Forensic Dentistry curse, checking their perception regarding functionality and or importance of the activity in their academic training. This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative and analytical approach. During a practical activity of the Forensic Dentistry curse at Federal University of Paraíba, a questionnaire was applied with open and closed questions about the facilities and difficulties experienced in the application of an age estimation method. Besides, the perception of students regarding the functionality and importance of the activity was asked. The sample (n = 52) was composed of students enrolled in the Forensic Dentistry discipline in two consecutive academic periods (2014/2 and 2015/1), which participated in the practical activity. Data were descriptively analyzed. The option "Excellent" was the most cited in three of the four criteria evaluated. As positive points, applicability (19.0%), content (17.2%), relevance for professional training (12.1%) and practicability (12.1%) stood out. The negative points and difficulties found were the method´s subjectivity (25.0%), poor quality of radiographic projections (18.2%), restricted applicability to children and adolescents (9.1%) and need for a previous study (9.1%). In conclusion, the practical activity of age estimation contributed to the students´ training, and the method applicability was the positive point most often cited, while the method´s subjectivity was the main difficulty experienced by undergraduate students.

Palavras-chave : Age Determination by Teeth.; Forensic Dentistry.; Education; Higher..