[Rural internship in dentistry in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil]

This paper describes a rural internship experience developed between 1998 and 1993 by the School of Dentistry, Rio de Janeiro State University. The objective of this program was to raise the social consciousness of undergraduate students. Extramural activities were carried out in the form of supervised 3-month internships in the dentistry services offered by public health units at several locations in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Besides working in the clinics, students took part in activities aimed at assessing oral health in the community, organizational and programmatic structures of the health services, and priorities, appropriate technology, education, and prevention in oral health. These internships integrated the critical thinking of professors, students, class associations, and service-providing institutions regarding the adequacy of education received by future dentists in addressing the true situation of oral health in the state of Rio de Janeiro.