Evaluación del conocimiento en dolor orofacial de los docentes de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad Finis Terrae

Abstract

Orofacial pain (OFP) is "A pain that is felt in the face and/or oral cavity, is caused by diseases or disorders of regional structures, by dysfunction of the nervous system, or the pain may be referred from a distant origin or location" 1 Its high prevalence makes this condition a health problem worldwide, international literature has shown over the years the deficiency that exists in professionals in relation to the understanding of DOF, due to this the present study aims to determine the knowledge of Orofacial Pain in the teachers of the Faculty of Dentistry of the Finis Terrae University in the year 2021 (n = 29). For this, a validated survey, obtained from the scientific literature, was used. This questionnaire allowed evaluating sociodemographic parameters, perception and knowledge of the respondent regarding the diagnosis, clinical signs and symptoms of Orofacial Pain conditions. Within the results it could be observed that of the total respondents 44.83% were men and 55.17%. Where 17.24% had been practicing the title for less than 10 years, 51.72% had been practicing for 10-20 years and 31.03% had been practicing as a dental surgeon for more than 20 years. The last parameter evaluated was the presence of specialty, where 89.66% said they had some dental specialty. It was possible to conclude that the knowledge of the teachers was acceptable, since five statements were answered correctly by more than 60% of the participants. Although some limitations were found in the study, the results were favorable and can be the basis for future research, for the establishment of courses and to give a new approach to dentistry, where integral professionals capable of diagnosing, treating, or managing these conditions are developed.