Website on the Prevention in Dentistry subject: novel and relevant teaching alternative
RESEARCH PAPER

 

Website on the Prevention in Dentistry subject: novel and relevant teaching alternative

Sitio web sobre la asignatura Prevención en Estomatología: alternativa didáctica novedosa y pertinente

 

 

Sara Fe de la Mella Quintero1* http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0906-0758
Ana Beatriz Pérez De la Hoz1 http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7075-7856
Danyer Camilo Valladares Clavijo1 http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9261-6635
Ana Edelmira Rojas Guzmán2 http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2317-5041

 

1Villa Clara university of Medical Sciences. Dentistry Faculty. Santa Clara. Villa Clara. Cuba.
2Villa Clara University of Medical Sciences. "Mariana Grajales" Gynecological Hospital. Santa Clara. Villa Clara. Cuba.

 

*Author for correspondence. Email: evajqf@infomed.sld.cu

 

 

ABSTRACT

Prevention in dentistry is taught in the first year of the degree. For the improvement of its teaching-learning process and as a didactic alternative, a website was created as a bibliographic support for its contents, which had as its starting point a diagnosis where the need for its design was confirmed. The authors titled it "Dental prevention" and it contains texts, images, videos, flash animations, etc. Its content is easily accessible, regardless of the way the user consults it. It was valued by specialists as appropriate for its practical utility, relevance and the characteristics of its conformation. It is the authors' interest to inform the scientific community about the product made in order to provide students with a novel and feasible aid ready for use.

MeSH: information technologies and communication projects; students, dental; education, medical.

RESUMEN

Prevención en Estomatología es una asignatura que se imparte en primer año de la carrera. Para el perfeccionamiento de su proceso enseñanza aprendizaje y como alternativa didáctica, se confeccionó un sitio web como soporte bibliográfico a sus contenidos, el cual tuvo como punto de partida un diagnóstico donde se constató la necesidad de su diseño. Sus autores lo titularon "Odontoprevención" y contiene textos, imágenes, videos, animaciones flash, etc. Su contenido es fácilmente accesible, independientemente de la forma en que el usuario lo consulte. Fue valorado por los especialistas como adecuado por su utilidad práctica, pertinencia y las características de su conformación. Es interés de los autores informar a la comunidad científica sobre el producto confeccionado con el objetivo de proporcionar al estudiantado un medio novedoso y factible de utilizar.

DeSC: proyectos de tecnologías de información y comunicación; estudiantes de Odontología; educación médica.

 

 

Submitted: 17/010/2019
Accepted: 19/02/2020

 

 

National and international studies show that the oral health status of the population is poor: more than 95% are affected by cavities, about 90% suffer from gum diseases, and between 55 and 70% also have abnormalities of occlusion development. These three entities usually begin at an early age, which indicates the importance of directing the main effort in increasing preventive activities and early diagnosis, with highly competent professionals trained to solve dental problems.(1)

The Cuban national program of dental care for the population has among its main objectives to reduce the morbidity of oral diseases through prevention actions at all levels of care; Therefore, it is necessary to prepare professionals effectively since their first years of training, where information and communications technologies have become important support for the development of a quality teaching-learning process.(2)

As a result of the scientific-technical revolution, these media acquire a qualitatively superior connotation within the teaching-learning process, without replacing the teacher's educational and human function.(3)

The subject Prevention in Dentistry is taught in the first year of the degree, it belongs to the leading discipline and includes the teaching of measures, methods and actions that serve to prevent the occurrence of a disease, or if it already exists, continue moving towards more severe stages causing irreparable damage and consequences; it determines and acts on risk factors or their causes to eliminate, mitigate or reduce them.(4)

The content that this subject deals with is found in different texts, and in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry of the Dentistry Faculty of Villa Clara University of Medical Sciences there is a sole text on this subject, so in dissimilar spaces for debate with Students and teachers have raised the need for a bibliographic support that integrates its contents.

This motivated the group of authors to search for and carry out a didactic, pleasant and feasible alternative for those who consult the prepared material, which aims to contribute to meaningful learning and to resolve the lack of integration of the contents. It is the authors' interest to inform the scientific community about the product made with the objective of supplying the aforementioned deficiencies and provide the student with a relevant and feasible aid ready for use.

The elaborated product was conceived as a website, that is, it includes an .html file with text, images, videos, flash animations, etc.(5) Its content is easily accessible, regardless of the way in which the user consults it. Access to the information part is free from frequent delays by having to navigate through several pages to reach the one you wish to consult. It was directly included the possibility of jumping from one content to another, without respecting the consecutive nature.

The topics discussed were the result of the collection of various information by the authors. Basic and complementary bibliographies suggested by the program of the Prevention in Dentistry course were included and enriched with videos and curiosities related to their subjects. For the development of the software, the content was well organized and structured so that the information was easily assimilated, covering the training needs and interests of the users. It was always present that the function of this product is to introduce, reinforce or expand the basic knowledge related to the aforementioned subject.

Its essential characteristics are:

 

  • Presence of vitality in their screens.
  • Provides theoretical and practical knowledge on the topics of the subject.
  • Keeps student's motivation.
  • Presents important and current information.
  • Facilitates user interaction with the application.

 

The final product of this research responds to pedagogical objectives similar to those of other research carried out in recent years on the design and use of this type of teaching aid.(6,7)

It was assessed by specialists, all of them considered the material appropriate for teaching the subject because of its practical utility, relevance and effectiveness of the use of the computer tools with which it was designed. The students' opinion when using the software was positive because they considered it attractive and useful for the apprehension of the contents of the aforementioned subject. The authors consider that the product constitutes a didactic alternative during the first year of the degree and an important reference material in the rest of the years of study.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES

1. Valdés Álvarez R. Manual de Odontopediatría. La Habana: Editorial Ciencias Médicas; 2014.

2. Sosa M, Toledo T, Barciela MC, García M, Rojo M, Morgado DE, et. al. Programa Nacional de Atención Estomatológica a la Población. La Habana: Editorial Ciencias Médicas; 2017.

3. Linares Cánovas LP, Linares Cánovas LB, Lazo Herrera LA. Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones: su uso racional en el proceso docente educativo. EDUMECENTRO [Internet]. 2018 [citado 02/04/2019];10(2):[aprox. 5 p.]. Disponible en: http://www.revedumecentro.sld.cu/index.php/edumc/article/view/861/html_339

4. Fernández Ramírez L, Herrera López IB, Pellerano Sánchez TT. La familia y la salud bucal. En: González Naya G, Montero del Castillo ME. Estomatología General Integral. La Habana: Editorial Ciencias Médicas; 2013.

5. de la Hoz Rojas L, Pérez de la Hoz AB, Valladares Clavijo DC, Contreras Pérez JM, Cobo Lueje Md, Ramos Quintanilla C. Sitio web para el estudio de los contenidos de la asignatura Epidemiología en Estomatología. EDUMECENTRO [Internet]. 2019 [citado 20/10/2019];11(3):[aprox. 14 p.]. Disponible en: http://www.revedumecentro.sld.cu/index.php/edumc/article/view/1225/html_489

6. Fernández-Márquez E, Vázquez-Cano E, López-Meneses E. Los mapas conceptuales multimedia en la educación universitaria: recursos para el aprendizaje significativo. Campus Virtuales [Internet]. 2016 [citado 18/04/2019];5(1):[aprox. 9 p.]. Disponible en: http://uajournals.com/ojs/index.php/campusvirtuales/article/view/100/99

7. Díaz LA, Alemán LD, Álvarez MM. Evaluación de un hiperentorno de aprendizaje sobre Virología Médica en la disciplina Microbiología y Parasitología Médicas. Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina, 2012-2013. Panorama Cuba y Salud. 2016;11(2):30-42.

 

 

Declaration of interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

 

 

Authors' contribution

Sara Fe de la Mella Quintero: carried out the organization, compilation and review of the topics to be included in the website, its scientific and authenticity of its correspondence with the contents provided in the curriculum of the degree, as well as the application in the teaching of the subject. He reviewed the final version of the article.
Ana Beatriz Pérez De la Hoz: contributed with the searching and organization of information and aesthetic design, functionality, general availability of the website, and its use in the teaching of the subject for subsequent assessment by users.
Danyer Camilo Valladares Clavijo: designed, structured and made the website.
Ana Rojas Guzmán: carried out the literature searches and collaborated in the preparation of the final research report.

 

 

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