Desafios da endodontia sob a perspectiva de alunos de graduação

Abstract

Endodontics is considered by many students as a difficult and stressful learning process, due to factors such as the anatomical diversity of the Root Canal System (SCR), complexity of the operative steps and inexperience. The aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of final year undergraduate students about endodontics and its challenges through quantitative-qualitative research. Quantitative data were collected through a questionnaire applied to students in the last undergraduate period during two semesters. Of these, 15 students from each class were selected to participate in focus group interviews. Quantitative data were organized in a database of the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences software version 22.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Armonk, NY, USA) and descriptively analyzed. The focus group interviews were transcribed and subjected to content analysis, by means of data thematization using the Atlas TI Web Software (Atlas.ti – Scientific Software). In total, 83 students participated in the quantitative approach and 10 students in the qualitative approach. A median of 5 endodontic treatments is performed during graduation (P25% = 4; P75% = 9). Students consider Endodontics a difficult specialty, feel unsure about performing endodontic treatments after graduation, especially in molars, and consider the number of treatments performed during the undergraduate course to be little. The radiographic takings, morphological variations of the canals, absolute isolation and access to the canals were the main points of difficulty encountered in endodontic practice. Negative experiences during the endodontic clinic and the fear of complications during the service reduce the student's interest and influence the delineation of their area of activity in professional life after graduation. Students who carry out a greater number of cases during graduation feel more capable and secure for the practice of endodontics in the labor market.