Perception of dental students on the implications of laboratory activities on clinical practices: cross-sectional study

Abstract

As a learning space that precedes clinical activities, the pre-clinical laboratory provides Dentistry students with the necessary experience of knowledge of materials, instruments and techniques that will be used in patients, in a controlled environment. The aim of this study was to understand the implications of pre-clinical practices on clinical activities through the perception of dentistry students in a private institution of higher education. A cross-sectional, exploratory study was carried out, with the application of a structured questionnaire to 87 Dentistry students, who were enrolled in the second, fourth or sixth period, in the second half of 2022. The questionnaire addressed sociodemographic issues, in addition to the time of use of the laboratory in extracurricular hours and the perception of good laboratory practices and their influence on clinical practices, the influence of the presence of monitors and interns was also questioned. The sociodemographic profile of dentistry students is white, young with monthly income between 2 and 5 minimum wages. Students spend an average of 1 to 3 extracurricular hours in the laboratory, although most of the interviewees believe that the greater number of hours of laboratory practices favors learning and their clinical performance, in addition to reporting that the presence of the intern and the monitor favors the learning process. It appears after the above that students recognize the importance of pre-clinical practice for their future clinical activities, thus it is up to educational institutions to offer to maintain the constant improvement of these skills as the constant adaptation of simulation environments, always aiming at the greatest similarity with what is found in the clinical experience, with the presence of monitors and interns, factors that, when associated, enhance the teaching-learning process.