Dialogue with dental students on “Smoking epidemic: main aspects of interest for the dental field”: an experience report

Abstract

Smoking is a chronic disease caused by nicotine addiction. Many oral problems can be attributed to or associated with smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. In turn, smoking cessation brings several benefits to oral health. The dental field plays a key role in tobacco control, but it is still rare for dental professionals to get involved with this issue, usually due to a lack of knowledge and skills about smoking and cessation. Although recommended, initiatives aimed at preparing dental students to deal with this issue are often neglected. This article aims to report a pedagogical experience with the systematization of a teaching plan on the theme “Smoking epidemic: main aspects of interest for the dental field” and its implementation through an oral presentation with undergraduate dental students (N=34) during an academic integration event. The author sought to identify specific content related to the topic, promote its didactic organization and plan the didactic space-time, in order to favor the students’ cognitive increase on the subject. It was observed that the methodology employed allowed dialogue, the connection of content with students’ interests and the rupture with their previous underdeveloped experiences. It is expected that this publication will be useful for teachers, managers and professionals interested in translating evidence on smoking into both professional training and dental practice.