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. 2024 May;30(4):2150-2157.
doi: 10.1111/odi.14639. Epub 2023 Jun 2.

Oral cancer and precancer in Oral Pathology and Medicine curricula of Mexican dental schools

Velia Ramírez-Amador  1 , Gabriela Anaya-Saavedra  1 , Stefano Petti  2 , Norma Lara-Flores  3 , Saray Aranda-Romo  4 , Eduardo Cruz-Monroy  5 , Daniela Muela-Campos  6 , Mario Nava-Villalba  7 , Fabián Ocampo-Acosta  8 , Katya Pulido-Díaz  9 , Alicia Rumayor-Piña  10
Affiliations

Oral cancer and precancer in Oral Pathology and Medicine curricula of Mexican dental schools

Velia Ramírez-Amador et al. Oral Dis. 2024 May.

Abstract

Objective: To identify the teaching-learning process characteristics of Oral Pathology and Medicine (OP&M) related to oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancer (OC), in the dental schools' curricula in Mexico, to analyze the approach given to this topic worldwide, and to provide the possible solution strategies.

Materials and methods: Questionnaires were sent to OP&M deans and professors from public Mexican Universities to explore the curriculum and academic profile of the dental schools. The recommendations gathered from a workshop with expert professors on the challenges in OPMD/OC teaching were reported.

Results: Twenty-two dental schools participated (22 deans, 30 professors). The most widely used strategies were clinical-case resolving (86%) and presentations (73%). Although 77.3% of the programs included maxillofacial lesions, only 40.9% contemplated OPMD/OC. Only 45% of the programs developed community activities for early OC detection. The workshop recommendations were (i) multidisciplinary approach to OPMD/OC teaching, involving OP&M professors in other dental and nondental courses; (ii) implementation of the most effective teaching techniques (currently, problem-based learning and clinical-case presentation) in OP&M curricula; (iii) education of OP&M professors on teaching-learning processes.

Conclusions: These recommendations from the Mexican context, integrated with similar experiences from other countries could contribute to develop a unique, internationally acknowledged OP&M curriculum.

Keywords: healthy oral mucosa; oral cancer; oral potentially malignant disorder.

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References

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