Dentistry for patients with special needs

curriculum structuring in dental courses in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

Persons with special needs are those with temporary or permanent limitations that require specialized care and healthcare providers who are able to assist them. Teaching dentistry to accommodate persons with special needs with therapeutic resoluteness is essential in dental courses. The aim of the present study was to describe the teaching of Dentistry for Persons with Special Needs (DPSN) in the curricula of dental courses in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The study was carried out through a search of the website of the Ministry of Education and Culture as well as the websites of the dental courses of higher education institutions. Each course - public and private - was analyzed in terms of the presence of DPSN teaching; curriculum structure – compulsory, elective/optional, and extension project; method offered - theoretical and/or practical; workload; and nomenclature employed. The state of Rio Grande do Sul has 23 higher education institutions with undergraduate courses in dentistry and 11 - two public and nine private - (47.8%) offer the teaching of DPSN. Four are mandatory, five are elective/optional, and two are extension projects. With regards to the teaching process, nine of the courses are theoretical/practical and two are only theoretical. There is no standardization in terms of nomenclature, workload, or the period/semester in which DPSN is offered. The present results enable the inference that, in addition to the need to expand the teaching of DPSN in undergraduate dental courses in the state, it is necessary to establish guidelines and protocols for structuring a common teaching and learning basis. It can therefore be concluded that there is a need for greater knowledge and academic training, favoring dental care and greater inclusion for persons with special needs.