INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN THE DENTAL CURRICULUM: IMPLICATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE HEALTH

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25110/educere.v26i2.2025-12879

Keywords:

Collective Health, Dentistry, Higher Education, Interprofessional Education

Abstract

This study analyzes how interdisciplinarity and interprofessional education are addressed in the dental curriculum and their implications for Collective Health. A narrative literature review was conducted, with searches in PubMed and Google Scholar between April 9 and 30, 2026. Thirteen studies published between 2011 and 2026 were included, selected according to predefined eligibility criteria and analyzed using a qualitative, descriptive-interpretive approach. The findings were organized into three themes: students’ perceptions of interprofessional education; contributions of practical experiences within the Brazilian Unified Health System; and barriers and opportunities for interdisciplinarity. The studies indicate favorable student perceptions, appreciation of teamwork, and strengthened teaching-service-community integration. However, methodological heterogeneity, the predominance of self-reported perceptions, and the scarcity of longitudinal assessments limit conclusions regarding the effectiveness of these strategies. It is concluded that interdisciplinarity should be longitudinally incorporated into the curriculum, connected to real-world settings within the Brazilian Unified Health System, with institutional support, faculty development, and assessment of collaborative competencies.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Erik Vinicius Barros Guedes, Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Ph.D. candidate in Dentistry in the Graduate Program in Dentistry (PRODONTO/UFS) at the Federal University of Sergipe.

Mel Amélia de Souza Pereira, Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Master’s student in Dentistry in the Graduate Program in Dentistry—PRODONTO/UFS. Federal University of Sergipe.

Daniel Maranha da Rocha, Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Doctor of Dental Surgery – Júlio de Mesquita Filho State University of São Paulo. Associate Professor at the Federal University of Sergipe.

Janaína Araújo Dantas, Universidade Federal de Sergipe

Ph.D. in Dental Radiology—State University of Campinas. Adjunct Professor at the Federal University of Sergipe.

References

BHONGADE, B. A.; ALI, A. A.; MAKADE, C. S.; DAYARAMANI, R. A. A comparative study of practice, perception, and attitude of undergraduate healthcare students towards toothbrush selection, maintenance and replacement in Ras Al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice, [S. l.], v. 24, n. 12, p. 974-980, 2023. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10024-3616. Acesso em: 10 abr. 2026.

BRASIL. Ministério da Educação. Conselho Nacional de Educação. Câmara de Educação Superior. Resolução CNE/CES nº 3, de 21 de junho de 2021. Institui as Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais do curso de graduação em Odontologia e dá outras providências. Diário Oficial da União: seção 1, Brasília, DF, p. 76-78, 22 jun. 2021. Acesso em: 10 abr. 2026.

CARCERERI, D. L.; AMANTE, C. J.; REIBNITZ, M. T.; MATTEVI, G. S.; SILVA, G. G. da; PADILHA, A. C. L.; RATH, I. B. da S. Formação em odontologia e interdisciplinaridade: o Pró-Saúde da UFSC. Revista da ABENO, [S. l.], v. 11, n. 1, p. 62-70, 2011. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.30979/rev.abeno.v11i1.42. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2026.

HUI, J. C. Y.; HU, L. L.; CHAN, A. K. Y.; CHU, C. H. Interdisciplinary strategies for improving oral health in older adults: a comprehensive review. Geriatrics, [S. l.], v. 11, n. 1, art. 22, 2026. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics11010022. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2026.

JHA KUKREJA, B.; KUKREJA, P. Community-oriented dentistry education: a narrative review. Cureus, [S. l.], v. 17, n. 1, e76986, 2025. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.76986. Acesso em: 9 abr. 2026.

KOVALESKI, D. F.; KOLBEMMEL, E. Perspectivas da interdisciplinaridade na educação em saúde bucal. Revista de Enfermagem, [S. l.], v. 8, n. 8, p. 89-100, 2013. Disponível em: https://revistas.fw.uri.br/revistadeenfermagem/article/view/478. Acesso em: 9 abr. 2026.

LIN, G. S. S.; NG, Y. S.; HASHIM, H.; FOONG, C. C.; YAHYA, N. A.; HALIL, M. H. M.; AHMAD, M. S. Shaping tomorrow's dentists: a multi-institutional survey of undergraduate dental students' perceptions towards interprofessional education. BMC Oral Health, [S. l.], v. 24, art. 762, 2024. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-024-04532-y. Acesso em: 9 abr. 2026.

MAKEEN, H. A.; MERAYA, A. M.; ALQAHTANI, S. S.; HENDI, A.; MENACHERY, S. J.; ALAM, N.; BANJI, D.; BANJI, O. J. F.; SADILI, A. E. Y.; DAGHRIRI, S. H.; ALAMEER, E. A. Exploring the awareness, attitude, and inclination of healthcare students towards interprofessional education: a cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal, [S. l.], v. 31, n. 10, art. 101784, 2023. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2023.101784. Acesso em: 12 abr. 2026.

MOURA, D. H. J. P. de; CHAGAS, D. B. das; NUNES, T. B.; SILVA, F. M. D. da; LIMA, T. M. S. S.; SANTANA, E. S.; CERQUEIRA, P. M. B. C.; OLIVEIRA, A. da S.; LUZ, E. das N. M.; COSTA, B. F. da. Reflexões da interdisciplinaridade na educação em saúde. Caderno Pedagógico, [S. l.], v. 21, n. 6, e4865, 2024. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.54033/cadpedv21n6-093. Acesso em: 9 abr. 2026.

MOURA, E. L. da S.; OLIVEIRA, E. E. G. de; SAFH, F.; NASCIMENTO, L. S. do; BRANDÃO, G. A. M. Práticas de Odontologia em Saúde Coletiva na Estratégia Saúde da Família. Revista da ABENO, [S. l.], v. 15, n. 3, p. 52-59, 2015. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.30979/rev.abeno.v15i3.154. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2026.

MÜLLER, A. M.; NGIAM, N. S. P.; DUNN, M.; SAMARASEKERA, D. D.; GOH, B. Y. S.; GOH, C. E. H.; TOH, A.; LEE, J.; YAU, W. P.; LAU, L. S. T.; GALLAGHER, P. J. Developing empathy in healthcare professions students: protocol of a mixed-methods non-controlled longitudinal intervention study. Frontiers in Medicine, [S. l.], v. 11, art. 1452516, 2024. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2024.1452516. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2026.

OLSSON, T. O.; DALMORO, M.; COSTA, M. V. da; PEDUZZI, M.; TOASSI, R. F. C. Interprofessional education in the Dentistry curriculum: analysis of a teaching-service-community integration experience. European Journal of Dental Education, [S. l.], v. 26, n. 1, p. 174-181, 2022. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12686. Acesso em: 11 abr. 2026.

ROCHA, P. M. L.; RIBEIRO, L. da C. C.; FERREIRA, P. H. da C.; MIRANDA, J. L. de. Odontologia em Saúde Coletiva: percepção do acadêmico. Revista Científica Vozes dos Vales, Minas Gerais, n. 8, ano IV, p. 2-12, out. 2015. Disponível em: http://site.ufvjm.edu.br/revistamultidisciplinar/files/2015/11/Joao.pdf. Acesso em: 12 abr. 2026.

SILVA FONSECA, M. da; DOURADO ROCHA, M. N.; ALMEIDA-FILHO, N. M. de. Interdisciplinaridad en la educación superior en salud: revisión narrativa. Integración y Conocimiento, [S. l.], v. 14, n. 2, 2025. Disponível em: https://doi.org/10.61203/2347-0658.v14.n2.49804. Acesso em: 9 abr. 2026.

Downloads

Published

2026-09-14

How to Cite

GUEDES, Erik Vinicius Barros; PEREIRA, Mel Amélia de Souza; ROCHA, Daniel Maranha da; DANTAS, Janaína Araújo. INTERDISCIPLINARITY IN THE DENTAL CURRICULUM: IMPLICATIONS FOR COLLECTIVE HEALTH. EDUCERE - UNIPAR Education Journal, [S. l.], v. 26, n. 2, p. 319–331, 2026. DOI: 10.25110/educere.v26i2.2025-12879. Disponível em: https://www.revistas.unipar.br/index.php/educere/article/view/12879. Acesso em: 16 sep. 2026.

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Artigos

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Erik Vinicius Barros Guedes, Mel Amélia de Souza Pereira, Daniel Maranha da Rocha, Janaína Araújo Dantas

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.