title: Dental students' familiarity with the medical management of dental patients at Brazilian dental schools.
abstract: Drug therapy in dentistry is essential for patients' treatment and requires special care by dentists, so it must be part of a well-grounded education for predoctoral dental students. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge of undergraduate students at dental schools in Brazil about the use of drugs in dental practice. The sample universe was comprised of all undergraduates enrolled in the last year of the dentistry course in three universities in 2010 (n=253). Inclusion criteria were students in their last year of enrollment and who agreed to participate in the research. The results were analyzed on Epi Info 3.5.1 software. Analyses were conducted with chi-square, Friedman, and Wilcoxon tests. Slightly more than half of the participants (51.9 percent) reported the ideal dose of anesthetic for a normal patient. However, their difficulties increased when asked about the relationship between the anesthetic and patients with systemic disease or those needing special care. Regarding drugs that usually cause allergic attack, only 29.2 percent and 36.6 percent, respectively, cited methyl methacrylate and latex. This study found that the knowledge of these undergraduates about the questions was deficient, so dental education should include more theoretical and clinical practice in recognizing the patient's medical needs.
authors: Preventive and Social Dentistry Postgraduate Program, Department of Infant and Social Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Araçatuba Dental School/UNESP, Street José Bonifácio 1193, Vila Mendonça, Araçatuba-SP, Brazil. paulinhacaetano@hotmail.com
authors: Paula Caetano
authors: PC
authors: Araújo
authors: Cléa Adas Saliba
authors: CA
authors: Garbín
authors: Suzely Adas Saliba
authors: SA
authors: Moimaz
authors: Nemre Adas
authors: NA
authors: Saliba
authors: Renato Moreira
authors: RM
authors: Arcieri
mesh_terms: D000779:Anesthetics, Local / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D001938:Brazil; D000075202:Contraindications; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003730:Dental Care for Persons with Disabilities; D004342:Drug Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D004358:Drug Therapy; D004497:Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology; D054539:Medication Therapy Management / Q000193:education*; D020366:Methylmethacrylate / Q000009:adverse effects; D010406:Penicillins / Q000009:adverse effects; D053210:Pharmaceutical Preparations, Dental / Q000009:adverse effects; D013335:Students, Dental; D013723:Teratogens
chemical_list: D000779:Anesthetics, Local; D010406:Penicillins; D053210:Pharmaceutical Preparations, Dental; D013723:Teratogens; D020366:Methylmethacrylate
keywords: Brazil; dental anesthesia; dental materials; dental students; drug therapy in dentistry