Pluralities in dental education

narratives of utilizing digital resources for educational approaches on racism and diversity

Abstract

This article aimed to report the experience of using social media as spaces for building knowledge about the themes of structural racism and the health of the LGBT population through events promoted by scholarship students from the Tutorial Education Program (TEP) Dentistry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Considering the scenario of dental education, beyond the technical and scientific knowledge required for dentists, it is of utmost relevance to address issues that go beyond these boundaries for the training of professionals capable of practicing dentistry in an integrated manner with the social context. Given the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the need to adapt teaching tools to the demands of isolation and social distancing, the significant space that social media has gained as a means of knowledge construction on various topics was observed, with the advantage of dispensing with travel, unlike traditional teaching environments. The methodology used proved advantageous, as it allowed teachers, students, and the general public from different regions of Brazil to come together, ensuring broad discussion of topics that have a significant social impact. Nevertheless, it is emphasized that social inequality generates different possibilities of access to virtual environments, being a barrier to information for more vulnerable populations. The choice of themes aligned with the proposals of the TEP Groups, as they positively contribute to the formation of university students.