Brazilian dentistry courses facing the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The study aimed to analyze the situation of Brazilian dental education considering the exceptionality of the COVID-19 pandemic. An observational and analytical study was conducted with two cross-sections, using questionnaires sent to all course coordinators in Brazil, in the 1st semester of 2020 and in March 2021. At onset of the pandemic, the institutions interrupted on-site activities. There was significant association between private institutions and offering remote lectures and using these resources before the pandemic. The public sector was associated with not teaching remote lectures and not using these resources previously. Public institutions had a greater degree of difficulty in the use and access to technologies for online activities by professors and students, as well as a lower degree of preparation in relation to biosecurity protocols to resume the clinical activities. Impacts were identified in different dimensions of dental education related to the development of practical activities and the establishment of new biosecurity protocols. Nearly all private courses did not suspend activities or did it for less than one month and resumed clinical or laboratory activities at some point during the surveyed period, while public institutions required an average of 5 months for such reorganization. The COVID-19 pandemic substantially increased the use of digital media in Brazilian dental education. From this assessment, there are financial limitations of the public sector to adapt the infrastructure to the requirements of the current biosecurity protocols. In general, students are receiving support from the institution and the coordinators identified negative impacts in different dimensions of dental education, notably in the establishment of new biosecurity protocols, adequacy in the physical structure and teaching-learning process.