Aim:

To analyse the opportunities and problematic situations around dental education in the new-caries paradigm from the curriculum perspective in the Colombian Dental Schools Association.

Methodology:

Two teachers from each school (n=23) were invited to participate: the responsible of most-caries teaching and the representative of curricular design (n=46). Discussion groups were conducted to analyse within the curriculum, facilitanting or limiting aspects, the new-caries paradigm incorporation process. These were complemented with a caries-management-guideline questionnaire answered by each school.

Results:

44 teachers of 22 schools participated. Within the opportunity category, a relevant trend was found related with the presence of cariology as a transversal axis of the curriculum. In the problematic situations category, four trends were observed: 1. Cariology teaching continues being linked to the risk approach, without embracing the social dimension of the patology; 2. In the theoretical aspects related with cariology, there is an approximation to the new paradigm, but in the clinical practice the traditional patology conception and the restorative emphasis predominate; 3. The current evidence of cariology is related to the adoption of the diagnostic criteria; and 4. There is a predominant caries-new paradigm management within the paediatric dentists.

Conclusion:

Caries cirricula delivered in University dental schools in Colombia are fragmented and require the incorporation of the new caries paradigm.

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