The role of Social Sciences in Dentistry undergraduate courses : a case report from Brazil

Abstract

In this article, we present an analysis of the contribution of social sciences to teaching undergraduate dentistry courses. Based on a literary review of the influence of behavioral and social sciences on oral health research and a case report from a public university in Porto Alegre, Brazil, I propose to consider the interface between health and social sciences, presenting some of our contributions to the training process of undergraduate students at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Introductory social sciences classes have been incorporated into various healthcare faculties, such as nutrition, dentistry, physiotherapy, medicine, obstetrics, and nursing. The acknowledgment of the importance of social sciences to the formation of health care professionals is reflected in the introduction in the curriculum of topics such as human rights, ethics in the relation of professionals and patients, as well as the challenges presented by social inequalities and the humanistic perspective of integral attention. In this sense, social sciences present undergraduates with a privileged perspective to the understanding of the patient both as a subject of rights, situated in a social, cultural, economic, and political context, and as a critical interpreter and agent of his own body, capable of recognizing and identifying illness processes, choosing, and attending therapy protocols and, therefore, capable of contributing to the continuity as well as transformation of healthcare practices. The inclusion of social sciences classes in undergraduate dentistry courses has given students an invaluable perspective on patients as individuals with rights situated within a social, cultural, economic, and political context. This understanding enables students to identify and tackle social inequalities, maintain ethical standards in their professional practice, and offer holistic care when training in programs integrated into the Brazilian Unified Health System. In addition, social sciences classes equip students with critical thinking skills that enable them to analyze and interpret patient experiences, make informed decisions regarding treatment protocols, and contribute to better treatment adherence, prevention practices, and therapy continuity.