O olhar do estudante de odontologia sobre a assistência odontológica de crianças com deficiência: estudo descritivo

Abstract

The dental care for children with disabilities requires not only a proper theoretical and practical foundation, but also human sensitivity and formative experiences that promote empathy and clinical competence. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze whether previous interaction with people with disabilities, combined with the theoretical and/or practical experiences experienced during undergraduate studies, influences the perception of dental students regarding dental care for children with disabilities. This is an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study conducted with students in the final period of the Dentistry course at the Faculty of Dentistry of the Federal University of Uberlândia. The research included students who completed the Pediatric Dentistry Unit 4 course. The target population corresponded to the 88th and 89th classes of Dentistry. All 80 students enrolled in these classes were invited to participate in the research. The data were collected through an online questionnaire consisting of closed questions, created in Google Forms. The instrument included questions about: prior experience with children and/or people with disabilities before graduation; theoretical and/or practical experiences on the topic during training; and perception of the relevance of the topic and interest in deepening knowledge about dental care for children with disabilities. The responses were tabulated in Microsoft Excel. The data were organized in a table with absolute and percentage values and analyzed through descriptive statistics. Of the 56 (70.0%) participating students, 33 (58.9%) reported having previously interacted with people with disabilities during elementary and high school, while 39 (69.6%) stated that they had lived with this population in their daily lives, through ties with family members, colleagues, friends, and/or neighbors. An even more significant number, 45 students (81.8%), indicated that they have already provided some type of volunteer assistance to children, adolescents, and/or adults with disabilities. Regarding the type of disability with which they had contact or experience, 17 students (35.4%) referred to individuals with physical disabilities, 13 (27.1%) with intellectual disabilities, and 18 (37.5%) with multiple disabilities. In terms of specific experience in the dental field, 33 students (60.0%) reported having participated in dental care involving people with disabilities, and 32 (57.1%) stated that they had attended presentations. Based on the adopted methodology and the results obtained, it is concluded that most dental students had previously interacted with people with disabilities, which may have contributed to greater familiarity and sensitivity regarding the care of this population. Furthermore, more than half of the participants reported having participated in dental treatments involving children with disabilities during their undergraduate studies, even before the specific course, highlighting some practical exposure to the topic. The students also acknowledged the importance of a specific course focused on dental care for children with disabilities, considering it essential for their academic training, technical preparation, and professional qualification.