Knowledge of Teacher and Dentistry Students of a Brazilian University about a Human Teeth Bank

Abstract

Human Tooth Banks (HTB) tries to overbear academic activities by providing human teeth, which are fundamental for preclinical, clinical and experimental applications. This study, which took place at the Federal University of Ceara-UFC, considered the cognition of students and professors of Dentistry on HTB. Aim: This study aimed at the investigation of the reality and importance of this tool for the undergraduate course, research as well as for the legal acquisition of this dental organ. Methods: This is a quantitative study, that a semi-structured questionnaire was used. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences program analyzed all the data, considering the reliability of 95% and using Fisher’s Exact test or the Person Chi-square test. Results: Although only 6.4% of the participants were familiarized with HTB, 99.1% considered their existence important. As for the use of human teeth, 93.5% reported having used HTB during the course, but only 41.1% requested authorization to handle. Conclusion: The knowledge of students and professors of Dentistry about HTB and its legality in obtaining this body is insufficient, although the use of human teeth and its high importance is attributed to the existence of HTB in dental schools.