Current status of geriatric dentistry education in selected dental schools in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Autor: León S; Gerodontology Unit, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Talca and Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging, Talca, Chile., Giacaman RA; Gerodontology Unit, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Talca and Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging, Talca, Chile., Araya-Bustos F; Gerodontology Unit, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Talca and Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging, Talca, Chile., Venegas S; Gerodontology Unit, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Talca and Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging, Talca, Chile., Saavedra N; Gerodontology Unit, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Talca and Interuniversity Center for Healthy Aging, Talca, Chile., Hugo FN; Departamento de Odontologia Preventiva e Social, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brasil., De Marchi RJ; Departamento de Odontologia Preventiva e Social, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brasil., Muñoz MF; Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica., Salazar C; Universidad Católica de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador., Castrejón-Pérez RC; Instituto Nacional de Geriatría, Institutos Nacionales de Salud, Ciudad de México, Mexico., Bustillos L; Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida, Venezuela., Fortanete A; Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay., de López AC; Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de Salud, Panamá City, Panama., Aredes JE; Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina., Marín-Zuluaga D; Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Odontologia, Bogotá, Colombia., Elias-Boneta A; Recinto de Ciencias Médicas, Escuela de Medicina Dental, Universidad de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Gerodontology [Gerodontology] 2024 Sep; Vol. 41 (3), pp. 385-392. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Oct 04.
DOI: 10.1111/ger.12714
Abstrakt: Objective: Latin American and Carribean (LAC) are currently experiencing a rapid aging of their population, coupled with a significant burden of oral diseases. Despites this, there is a scarcity of evidence regarding the manner in wich geriatric dentistry is being taught in dental schools across LAC. So, the objective of this study is to investigate the current status of geriatric dentistry education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in selected LAC dental schools.
Methods: An electronic questionnaire was developed and emailed to all 539 dental schools in 19 LAC countries. The questionnaire recorded activity levels, contents and methodology of geriatric dentistry education as part of dental degree programmes. Reminders by email and telephone calls were used to encourage non-responders to complete the questionnaire.
Results: In total, 317 schools from 17 countries responded to the questionnaire (response rate: 58.8%). Geriatric dentistry was taught in 54.6% of the schools at the undergraduate level and in 6.9% at the postgraduate level. Thirty two percent of the schools had a programme director trained in geriatric dentistry. Geriatric dentistry was taught as an independent course in 14.5% of the schools. Dry mouth, periodontal disease, denture-related conditions and prosthodontic management, oral mucosal disease and age-related changes of the orofacial complex were the most frequently covered topics. Clinical teaching of geriatric dentistry was reported by 26.5% of the schools, with 38.0% providing clinical training in outreach facilities.
Conclusions: Geriatric dentistry education remains incipient in LAC, with only one in every four dental school offering it as a standalone course. There is an urgent need to further develop geriatric dentistry education in the continent, including further research to develop a minimum geriatric dentistry curriculum.
(© 2023 Gerodontology Association and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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