The Perception of Undergraduate Degree Students in Dentistry About the Importance of Learning and Continuing Education in Head and Neck Morphology

Abstract

Introduction: this study aimed to evaluate undergraduates from the 2nd to the 5th year of the School of Dentistry of Ribeirão Preto of University of São Paulo (FORP-USP) in relation to their perception of the impact of teaching on head and neck morphology in their professional career through a satisfaction questionnaire, based on the Posnick and Wallace (2008) model with modifications for such specificity. Methods: an evaluation form was elaborated with 100 multiple-choice questions referring to specific knowledge of head and neck morphology, subdivided into the areas of temporomandibular joint and skeletal, nervous, circulatory and muscular systems. Additionally, 10 questions of a satisfaction questionnaire were applied at: 1) the beginning of the research; 2) after 60 specific knowledge questions; and 3) at the end of the research (after 100 specific knowledge questions), with the objective of measuring students’ satisfaction and understanding of the content based on the answers to the questions, and to relate the progress of the participating students in different stages of undergraduate education. Results: although the sample group was very small, it was observed that the students’ self-assessment is a strategy that drives and stimulates their perception of the importance of studying head and neck morphology for professional practice in dentistry, as well as the relevance of maintaining this knowledge updated after completing the course. Conclusion: further works will be proposed in this line of research to increase the sample size, obtain broader results, and strengthen the statistical analysis in order to better understand the experimental model.