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. 2025 Jun 25;17(6):e86737.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.86737. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Preparedness, Satisfaction, and Intentions Among Dental Students Treating Patients With Disabilities: Evidence From Two Mexican Dental Schools

Pedro Rosales García  1 , Grecia Carolina Medina Morales  2 , Alan Martínez Zumarán  3 , Adriana Torre Delgadillo  3 , Carlos Bermúdez Jiménez  4 , Joshua Hernández Benavidez  1 , Miguel Angel Casillas Santana  5 , Oscar Lozano González  2 , Nuria Patiño-Marín  6 , Marco Felipe Salas Orozco  7
Affiliations

Preparedness, Satisfaction, and Intentions Among Dental Students Treating Patients With Disabilities: Evidence From Two Mexican Dental Schools

Pedro Rosales García et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Background: The inclusion of people with disabilities in oral healthcare is increasingly recognized as a global priority. Despite this, individuals with disabilities continue to face significant barriers to dental care, often due to a lack of specialized training among providers. Dental education plays a crucial role in preparing future practitioners to deliver inclusive and equitable care.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the perceptions, satisfaction, and professional intentions of dental students regarding their preparedness to treat patients with disabilities, and to compare these perceptions between two Mexican dental schools.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduate dental students from the third to sixth year at two institutions: the Faculty of Stomatology at the Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí (UASLP) and the Faculty of Dentistry at the Northeastern Regional Complex of the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla (BUAP). A validated 14-item questionnaire was adapted and administered in person, reaching over 90% of the eligible population. Statistical analysis was performed using JASP software, applying chi-square tests to identify institutional differences in attitudes, perceptions, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions.

Results: A total of 502 students participated (248 (49.4%) from UASLP and 254 (50.6%) from BUAP). Female students comprised 201 (81.0%) at UASLP and 181 (71.3%) at BUAP, while male students represented 47 (19.0%) at UASLP and 73 (28.7%) at BUAP. BUAP students consistently reported significantly higher satisfaction with classroom, clinical, and extramural experiences, and greater confidence in treating patients with disabilities (p < 0.001). Differences were also found in perceived institutional support and faculty expertise. While both groups acknowledged the importance of improving disability-related education, 207 (81.5%) BUAP students expressed stronger behavioral intentions to include patients with disabilities in their future practice compared to 156 (62.9%) from UASLP (p = 0.00095).

Conclusion: Despite a shared recognition of the importance of disability care, significant institutional differences were found in students' preparedness and educational experiences. These findings highlight the urgent need to enhance dental curricula with structured, experiential training and faculty development to ensure that future professionals are equipped to provide ethical and inclusive care to all patient populations.

Keywords: attitudes and intentions; dental education; inclusive dental care; mexican dental schools; special care dentistry.

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Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Informed consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Comite de Etica en Investigación de la Facultad de Estomatología de la UASLP issued approval CEI-FE-008-024. This study was reviewed and approved by the Research Ethics Committee, under approval number CEI-FE-008-024. All procedures were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Animal subjects: All authors have confirmed that this study did not involve animal subjects or tissue. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

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