The aim of this study was to analyze and discuss the comprehension of Dentistry students from seven Dentistry Schools in Santa Catarina State, regarding the contribution of dental care in the resolution of people's health problems. The methodological approach was a qualitative research based on the Coletive Subject Discourse Technique (CSD), applied to 35 interviews. Based on the results, seven CSD's were developed. The students' viewpoints showed that: the contribution of dental care comprises the dissemination of oral health from the dentist to the population as a way for prevention; clinical dental care requires proper technical skills of the dentist, involving proper materials, instruments, and equipments associated to attendance of ethical concepts and satisfaction with the accomplished task; the resolution of dental problems is a way to promote people's self-esteem, resulting in social inclusion; Dentistry is not limited to specific questions, and issues from other professions should be considered; and finally, there is a need to improve the infrastructure and access to public health services. In addition, the results suggest the need of carrying out discussions among dental students and academic staff, in order to produce critical reflections on the conceptual field of oral health.
Oral health; health promotion; health policy; higher education