Guide as a teaching aid to assess the general and craniofacial growth of the dental patient patient

Abstract

Background: the assessment of the growth and development of the dental patient allows unifying criteria and performing a homogeneous and efficient evaluation of their disease, by the future professional of Dentistry.
Objective: to design a guide to assess the general and craniofacial physical growth of the dental patient.
Methods: a descriptive and cross-sectional investigation was carried out at the Dentistry Faculty, from October 2017 to April 2018. Methods of the theoretical and empirical level were used: a survey in questionnaire form to students, nominal group technique and interview to key informants. The proposal was assessed by specialists’ criteria.
Results: there was a predominance of insufficient information on the subject under study by the students, which they indicated as ways to acquire knowledge: “by teachers in class” and “in outpatient care”, only a minority selected the basic textbook. The nominal group technique and interview to key informants allowed confirming what was investigated and identifying the theoretical aspects essential for the preparation of the guide to assess the general and craniofacial physical growth of the individual.
Conclusions: the proposal was a relevant, useful and feasible teaching aid to apply from the subject Orthodontics in the undergraduate and in the specialty, according to the assessment of the specialists consulted.