Environmental education in dentistry: Perceptions about mercury in dental amalgam and its harmful effects

Abstract

This scientific research deals with the harms and risks of Mercury, found in amalgam dental restorations made in dental activities. It aimed to answer the guiding question: what are the harms of the Mercury component in dental amalgam with a view to the academic-work environment and the natural environment? The general objective was to analyze, together with Dentistry students, the perceptions they have about the environmental theme and their actions in the environments. From the qualitative interpretative approach, the methodology used was the search for publications on the following platforms: Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), Google Scholar, Scielo Platforms, etc., without obeying a specific period of time. In addition, the Likert Scale, Free Word Association Techniques and Content Analysis were also used in the Google Forms for students who are in the 2nd period or higher. There were some inconsistencies in the students' answers, such as: they did not know how to work with dental amalgam without polluting. We conclude that there are challenges for students and teachers, in the sense that the methodology used in the classroom is aimed as innovative, as a parameter of Environmental Education. In addition, it is necessary for the community of the school institution to think of ecosystems that involve entrepreneurial actions that meet the awareness of professionals who teach and those who learn, so that it is possible to dialogue between teaching and learning and the development of creating a "pleasant environment".

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2023.005-014