Resumo

MARIO MARQUES, FERNANDES et al. Prosthodontists' perception of the forensic dentistry aspects of dental records. RGO, Rev. gaúch. odontol. (Online) [online]. 2013, vol.61, n.3, pp. 357-362. ISSN 1981-8637.

Objective To verify the perception of prosthodontists regarding the forensic dentistry aspects of the rehabilitation treatment data stored in the dental records of their patients. Methods This is a prospective study of 222 male and female dental surgeons from the city of Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, who specialize in dental prosthesis. The study used a questionnaire with 41 structured questions and two open questions, totaling 43 questions. After descriptive analysis, the data were compared by the Fisher's exact test. Results A total of 143 questionnaires were answered, representing 64.4% of the existing dental surgeons at the time of the study. Most respondents (86.7%), and females more so than males (p=0.046), did follow-up or maintenance of the treatments provided. The study also found that dental surgeons 50 years old or younger follow their patients regularly but as they get older, the follow-up frequency decreases (p=0.019). Conclusion The study experts have partial knowledge of the forensic dentistry aspects of the records of the rehabilitation treatments they provided. Their experience had a significant impact on their legal awareness and on the quality of the data they recorded regarding the procedures that suggest greater care.

Palavras-chave : Dental records.; Dental prosthesis.; Forensic dentistry.; Expert testimony.; Knowledge.