Exploring Career Prospects in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Medicine Among Final-Year Brazilian Dental Students: A Multi-institutional Study

Abstract

Background

Oral and maxillofacial pathology (OP) and oral medicine (OM) are recognized specialties in Brazil and worldwide. Identifying dental students' intentions to pursue these fields and understanding the factors influencing their career choices may provide insights into the future of the specialties. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the intention of Brazilian final-year dental students to pursue the professional career in OP and OM.

Methods

Final-year undergraduate dental students, from various public and private institutions in Brazil, were invited to voluntarily complete a self-administered and anonymous virtual questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 11 questions. The statistical analysis consisted of describing the absolute and relative numbers, and performing analytical statistics using Pearson's chi-squared test for categorical variables.

Results

A total of 358 students participated of the study. The majority were female (75.1%), with a mean age of 25.27 years, mainly from public universities (52%). The main careers pursued were restorative dentistry (39.1%), dental implantology (37.7%), prosthodontics (33%), and orofacial harmonization (31.3%). The main reasons for choosing specialization were to stand out in the profession and to perform better in the profession with better clinical outcomes. OM was reported as a career choice by 17% of students and OP by 7.5%. The motivations for such choice were vocation and influence from professors, colleagues, or family members.

Conclusion

The results revealed a surprising and concerning finding: interest in the fields of OP and OM, which are fundamental for diagnosing and treating complex conditions of the oral cavity, was relatively low.