Cariology-Competency Teaching Among Latin American Dental Schools Implementing the Regional Curriculum Framework:...

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Cariology
• Implementation Science

Background:

• The Latin American Spanish-speaking Cariology Curriculum framework (LACC) was established in 2023, detailing 85 competencies across five domains.
• This study is part of a larger implementation science project focused on assessing cariology education in Latin America.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current state of cariology teaching in participating Latin American dental schools.
• To assess teaching behaviors against the LACC competencies using the COM-B model.

Main Methods:

• Eight Latin American dental schools participated in the study.
• A 425-item questionnaire based on the COM-B model was used to assess self-reported teaching behaviors aligned with the LACC.
• Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Welch's ANOVAs, and multiple linear regression.

Main Results:

• Participating dental schools reported moderate-to-high frequency of LACC-aligned teaching behaviors.
• 'Caries epidemiology and research methodology' was the most frequently taught area (Domain I).
• 'Dental health systems, economy, approaches' was the least frequently taught area (Domain V).
• Capability emerged as the strongest predictor of teaching behavior across all domains.

Conclusions:

• Latin American dental schools are increasingly adopting updated cariology teaching practices.
• The capability component of the COM-B model is crucial for the successful implementation of these teaching behaviors.