Present-Day Cariology Education in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico

Objectives: To evaluate current cariology teaching in Dental Schools of the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Methods: A previously used questionnaire about current cariology education [Martignon et al., J Dent Educ, 2013;77:1330-37] was sent via e-email to be completed by the Directors and Cariology teachers of all the Dental Schools in the Dominican Republic (n=13) and Puerto Rico (n=1). The survey covered the cariology curriculum, diagnosis systems, caries management, and perceptions of the importance of teaching cariology.
Results: Eleven Dental Schools in the Dominican Republic and the one in Puerto Rico completed the questionnaire. Dental caries teaching was imparted as a standalone course in 50% of the schools. Cariology was addressed as part of the Paediatric and Operative Dentistry sections. In terms of caries detection and assessment, tactile detection with a probe and DMF-S was taught in 81% of institutions, ICDAS criteria in 27%, and caries activity assessment in 54%.
Ten schools (83%) had pre-clinical labs before the students’ contact with patients. In clinical practice, only 2 schools (17%) were frequently managing caries based on individual risk assessment; 6 (50%) were performing individual oral-health education, and 9 (75%) were occasionally implementing non-operative caries management. Bitewing radiographs were taken in nine schools (75%) to confirm a visual/tactile diagnosis. At the following lesions stages, schools were performing operative caries management: 17% for initial lesions, 50% for micro-cavity, 75% for dentin shadows, and 100% for cavitated lesions. In 91% of the institutions a change to cariology education was considered necessary.
Conclusions: Cariology teaching in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico lacks sufficient emphasis on the current caries paradigm. All schools should include a course in cariology including a shift in focus towards early detection and caries management by risk assessment. A consensus on cariology needs to be implemented.