History and objectives

The program 

The Postgraduate program in Pediatric Dentistry (FORP/USP) offers both Masters and doctoral courses. The main objective being, to form pro-active individuals in the development of academic activities, including teaching and research.

The Master’s course of the Postgraduate program in Pediatric Dentistry was created in October 1998 with student enrolment from February 1999. The doctoral course was created in June 2005 with student enrolment from February 2006.

There are 24 professors on the program, 33% of them are on research productivity scholarships  (CNPq) and 100% with currently funded research projects (FAESP,CNPq, CAPES and USP ) The faculty is recognised both nationally and internationally for its excellence in scientific publications in qualified journals and for the publication of 6 books ( 5 national and I international ).

The Post graduate program in Pediatric Dentistry obtained a grade 6 in the CAPES evaluation in the quadrennium from 2010-2012. A grade that remains to this day.

A little about us…

Postgraduate studies at the Ribeirão Preto Faculty of Dentistry at the University of São Paulo (FORP/USP) began in 1983 with the oral rehabilitation program at a Masters level, extending to a doctorate in 1987. The centre remained exclusively   with the Postgraduate course in the area of oral rehabilitation until 1997 when   the dental residency courses which had developed their activities between 1985 and 1993   progressively gave way to new Postgraduate courses. These included restorative dentistry (endodontics and restorative dentistry), oral biology, oral rehabilitation, periodontics (periodontics and maxillofacial surgery) and Pediatric Dentistry.

The Pediatric Dentistry discipline of the children’s health department at FORP/USP is concerned in collaborating with new Professors and researchers as well as the advancement of knowledge in the area of expertise. It encourages the increase in qualified scientific production and uptake of external resources from development agencies. It structured the implementation process of the Postgraduate course “Stricto Sensu”, in the Pediatric Dentistry area. The Masters course of the Postgraduate program in Pediatric Dentistry was created in October 1998 with student enrolment beginning in February 1999. As is the case with any new course, the Masters course started with a grade 3 with CAPES. However, at the end of the first three year period the program received a grade 5. In 2006, the doctoral course began with a grade 5. This was maintained until 2010 when CAPES awarded the program a grade 6, which continues to be valid to this day.

In 2018, USP (the University of São Paulo) started a new institutional, departmental and teaching evaluation. This evaluation system is centred on academic projects that include an action plan that defines objectives for five years.  After it had been inserted in the University’s computing system the commission of academic activities   (CAA) evaluated and approved the projects referred to. The first cycle of five years includes the period from 2018-2022.  Both the objectives and actions of PGP (Postgraduate Program) in Pediatric Dentistry at FORP/USP are in line with the academic projects of the Children’s health department. They operate in the improvement of program management, the teaching and staff body, in the curriculum structure of the program and in nationalisation and internationalisation strategies.

In 2023, the program had 24 teachers, of which 21 are permanent Professors (15 of them exclusively working on the program) and 3 collaborating Professor. There were also 40 doctoral students and 58 Masters students.

In the 25 years since it was formed, the program specialised in teaching and research in dentistry (Pediatric Dentistry ) is not restricted to the South east region. Students are spread throughout the country in diverse geographical areas in Brazil. This includes the north due to DINTER which is the program with the Faculty of Amazonas -IAES, and abroad including Mexico, Argentina, El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, Panama, Bolivia and Peru).

In addition, the PGP in Pediatric Dentistry at FORP/USP presents ELEVADO IMPACTO REGIONAL, NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL. (REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL ELEVATED IMPACT). This has a direct influence of the teaching of dentistry through, for example the implementation of dental treatment protocols based on scientific evidence used in different institutions in Brazil and throughout the world. It is important to the quality of life of those who have strong social ties and work with public policy and technological production through patents for example. This is in addition to the internationalization through the publication of scientific articles in qualified journals, chapters in books and Professor and student exchange programs with formalised agreements with renowned institutions abroad.

By November at 2023, the course had graduated 160 master’s students and 89 doctoral students and 09 Dinter students. 

 

Objectives

The aims of the Postgraduate course in the area of Pediatric Dentistry are to develop basic, clinical and translational research projects. These consist of an interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and multicentre nature and develop student ability to formulate hypotheses and the capacity to seek answers. By doing so, students reach conclusions themselves and in the process specialised pro-active researchers in the field of Pediatric Dentistry and related areas are created.

In order for this to occur, there is an emphasis on reading and critical analysis of dissertations in the teaching as well as theses and scientific articles which develops the sense of evaluation. Consequently, we enable Postgraduate students to plan and carry out basic, applied and translational research and to develop competence in guiding scientific work at both the Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels. An entrepreneurial spirit is fostered in all the different actors (students, professors and technical administrative staff) involved in the PGP and encouraging the development of projects that generate patent filings.

The program is also reliant on the increasing strength of the Undergraduate and Postgraduate teaching. This knowledge generation occurs through the carrying out of joint research work by the professors. In addition, the training of qualified professionals to teach the classes (theoretical, clinic and laboratory practice) at graduate and postgraduate levels is extremely important. There is a particular emphasis in the training of the preparation of audio-visual and didactic resources. The program also aims to train professionals who are capable of   working in the private and public sectors in areas related to teaching and research as well as the industrial sector and in the third sector. By involving the students in community service activities a sense of social responsibility is also stimulated.

Other program objectives include the following. The increase in sustainability actions on the PGP course, strengthen interfaces with basic education ( elementary and high school ), disseminate the results of research carried out on the program in qualified national and international periodicals and to seek partnerships on the international stage with centres and Universities.  The aim being that there would be cooperation and mobility between students and Professors in both activities in the country and abroad. In turn, this would encourage the setting up of research centres in Brazil and in other countries. The program also places    an emphasis on promoting initiatives that welcome Postgraduate students who are experiencing emotional, financial or academic difficulties. The creation and implementation group at FORP/USP is aimed at providing this particular support to the students.