Ergonomia e Odontologia: determinantes da postura corporal dos estudantes da clínica-escola de uma Universidade Federal

Posture is one of the most worrying problems dentists face. That is because of the high incidence of low back pathologies regarding the professional activity, despite the development on the field of Dental Ergonomics. This work took place at the dental schoolclinic at a Federal University, and it was grounded on the Ergonomic Principles in the workplace. Its main objective was to analyze the determinants of inadequate posture adopted by students inasmuch as the adoption of non ergonomic methods at the school-clinic may influence them to develop inadequate postures in their working environment. The analysis of the activity showed us that it requires some complex procedures in the patient s mouth. Thus, when the students carry out the activity, they start to adopt, although unconsciously, inadequate postures which will make easier the visual accuracy and the access to the operation focus. In case there is no internal (body awareness) or external warning mechanisms (the professor s or the partner s counseling) regarding posture or possible risks which lead them to self-correction, the students become vulnerable to osteomuscle disorders. The time pressure, because the students are expected to perform their task in a predetermined clinical time. The facts related to each patient s variability as well as the stress caused by the expectations to get their work done in time make the students to advance it believing they will waste time if they help their partners or using an indirect view. We could also notice that there was no assistant to perform the job of minor ones, as well as there was no professor who could actually connect the knowledge on Ergonomics to its working practice. The conclusions of this work stand out the need of widen the discussion at the academic environment regarding health professionals in places such as universities. The ergonomic principles in the workplace aim a multidisciplinary analysis based on the experience of students, professors, staff members and janitors that can contribute to some reflection upon the issue and consequently actions which will bring positive changes at the working environment

Formação em odontologia: um estudo sobre as clínicas integradas em cursos do Brasil

Dental education is going through important changes in preparing workers to meet the needs of the society and the labor market. For that reason, we studied the offering of comprehensive dental care clinics in Brazil with the aim of encouraging future curriculum changes focused on the training of general dental practitioners. An email questionnaire on educational organization and comprehensive care clinics of undergraduate programs was sent to each academic dental affairs dean. Sixty-seven (41.6%) dental schools agreed to participate. We observed that curriculum changes have contributed to modify the format of comprehensive care clinics. This was felt mainly (88,1%) with regards to workload and course offerings in different levels of the dental curriculum, thereby creating a favorable environment for generalist training. Most schools shared the following characteristics: clinical procedures were being prioritized according to level of complexity (95,5%), students were having the chance to attend courses in other programs (37,3%), and attempt to diversify teaching methods was being challenged (58,2%). Although progress in combining teaching and clinical services was reported by 83,6% of schools, most clinical procedures were still being performed intramurally (50,7%) in partnership with public service. There was also improvement in clinical mentorship due to the hiring of instructors qualified to work in comprehensive care clinics and with aptitude to supervise a wider range of dental procedures (58,2%). Further changes to Brazilian comprehensive care clinics should hence be encouraged and intensified to ensure appropriate generalist training for dental practitioners